Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has announced that the National Database and Regulatory Authority (NADRA) has confirmed the installation of Sameera’s family tree in the detention center in Bangalore, India, and issued her a certificate of citizenship.
He said the certificate had been sent by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Pakistani High Commissioner in New Delhi who would provide travel documents to Sameera and allow her to come to Pakistan with her 4-year-old daughter.
The issue of a Pakistani-born woman imprisoned with her daughter in an Indian national’s Bangalore jail was raised on Monday by PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui.
According to a report released by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Samira belongs to a Pakistani family living in Qatar. She was married to an Indian boy who took her to India without a visa.
Sameera was later arrested and sentenced to three years in prison. Two months after the arrest, she gave birth to a daughter. Sameera’s husband released her while in custody.
After completing her sentence, Sameera was staying with her daughter in a detention center in Bangalore.
Sameera’s lawyer Sahana Patna said she had been trying to contact the Pakistani High Commissioner in Delhi and the Pakistan Home Ministry for the last six months to verify her citizenship, but to no avail.
Expressing sympathy with the Indian girl smile during the Senate session, Senator Irfan Siddiqui said that “something should be done for Pakistan’s daughter Sameera too”.
He asked the Leader of the House Dr Shehzad Wasim to take up the issue with the government.
The Senate Chairman directed that Senator Irfan Siddiqui and the Leader of the House should work together to plan for action on this issue.
The issue was once again raised in the House by Irfan Siddiqui after which the opposition walked out of the Senate in protest.
Irfan Siddiqui said, “I raised this issue on February 14. Five days have passed but not a word has been said about Sameera by the Foreign Ministry or the government.
The PML-N senator said the government’s indifference to the condition of Sameera and her daughter was “regrettable”.
He said that Sameera had been in jail for 4 years and no one came to her aid. The citizens of Bangalore collected money and paid a fine of Rs. Our embassy here is enjoying the rabbit dream.
Reacting, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan had promised that the government would take notice of the issue and the House would be apprised of the progress made in this regard.
Senator Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar also supported the demand of Senator Irfan-ul-Haq.
The Chairman Senate had directed the Ministry of Home Affairs and External Affairs to take steps in the case of Sameera and submit progress report to the Senate Secretariat on daily basis.