Pakistani women married in IIOJK yearn for a homeland they can’t visit: China Morning Post
Srinagar: Around 350 Pakistani women married to former Kashmiri militants in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir are facing an uncertain future after being denied citizenship as well as permission to return back home, this was reported by Hong Kong-based English newspaper South China Morning Post.
These women, who went to the occupied territory under a rehabilitation programme, are now stranded with no valid travel documents and limited options for returning to their families in Pakistan.
In 2010, the Indian government launched a rehabilitation policy for those Kashmiri refugees who had migrated to Pakistan as a result of persecution in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. This program allowed these Kashmiris to return home. However, the program did not adequately address the needs of their families, particularly their wives who were Pakistani citizens.
These women are caught in a bureaucratic limbo. Pakistan has expressed willingness to accept them back, but India has not facilitated their return. They are not eligible for Indian citizenship under the current legal framework, which excludes Muslims from the Citizenship Amendment Act. This leaves them with limited options and creates significant hardship.
Besides economic hardship, these women face numerous challenges, including loneliness and isolation, uncertainty about the future due to the lack of clarity regarding their legal status and options for returning to Pakistan. Rights groups and activists have called on the Indian government to grant citizenship to these women or facilitate their return to Pakistan. They argue that the current situation violates their human rights and creates unnecessary suffering.
The number of affected women is estimated to be around 350. Indian government has not yet responded to calls for action regarding these women’s situation.
