TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: There is good news for Goan Catholics in Pakistan, Ministry of Home Affairs (foreigner division) has decided to approve the issue of Long term visas (LTV) to Christians and Buddhists living in Pakistan so as to enable them to apply for citizenship.
Indian government had decided to enable religious minorities in Pakistan to apply for Indian citizenship provided they meet the terms and conditions. Until now that facility was extended only to Hindus and Sikhs.
“The question of including other minority communities in Pakistan (other than Hindus and Sikhs) in categories of persons eligible for grant of long term visa / extension of LTV has been examined by the government. It has been decided with the approval of the competent authority to include Christians and Buddhists in the list of minority communities in Pakistan…” a letter sent by Joint Secretary (Foreigners) in the MHA to Commissioner of NRI Affairs Eduardo Faleiro reads.
Faleiro had written to the Home Minister P Chidambaram explaining to him the plight of Goan Catholics.
“At the time of undivided India, many Goans mostly Christians migrated to Karachi and elsewhere in present day Pakistan. Christians constitute a significant minority community in Pakistan. May I request you to kindly include Christians in addition to Hindus and Sikhs as members of the minority community communities in Pakistan for the purpose of LTV so as to enable them to qualify for Indian citizenship. This will greatly help Goan Christians who are Pakistani Nationals and have been in Goa before December 31, 2009 to qualify for Indian citizenship,” Faleiro had requested in his letter to the Union Minister.
Many Goans living in Pakistan possess property in Goa and are unable to even visit their ‘homeland’ except for a brief period.
Issuing of visas to Pakistani nationals visiting India is governed by the Indo-Pak visa agreement of 1974, which only provided for the issue of short-term visas.