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Citizenship by marriage in Pakistan allows foreign nationals who marry Pakistani citizens to acquire Pakistani nationality under certain conditions. The rules governing this process are outlined in the Pakistan Citizenship Act of 1951, particularly in Section 10. The process is more straightforward for women, as men married to Pakistani citizens do not automatically acquire citizenship by marriage.
Foreign Women Married to Pakistani Citizens
A foreign woman who marries a Pakistani citizen can apply for citizenship by marriage. She can acquire Pakistani citizenship after two years of marriage, provided she meets the necessary requirements.
Residency Requirement
The foreign wife must have resided in Pakistan for a period of at least two years before applying for citizenship. The two-year period is generally counted from the date of her marriage to the Pakistani citizen.
Good Character and Other Conditions
As with other types of citizenship applications, the foreign wife must demonstrate good character and fulfill any other conditions the government may deem necessary, such as a basic understanding of the Pakistani constitution, language, and culture.
The foreign national must submit an application for citizenship through marriage to the Federal Government.
The Federal Government will review the application, and if all criteria are met, the foreign spouse will be granted Pakistani citizenship.
Foreign men married to Pakistani women can also acquire citizenship by marriage as initially the law made did not provide for it, however, later a judgement of Federal Shariat Court and then the Peshawar High Court in our own case directed that Husbands of Pakistani Citizen women are also entitled to citizenship on basis of marriage, provided they meet the necessary conditions such as residency, good character, and others.
By virtue of marriage a foreigner woman married to a Pakistani man can now retain dual citizenship as was decided in our case by Peshawar High Court, Peshawar, however, as for men belonging to countries which has no dual citizenship policy with Pakistan, they have to gave away their citizenship before they acquire Pakistani Citizenship.
Once granted citizenship, the spouse of a Pakistani citizen enjoys the same rights and privileges as any Pakistani citizen, including the ability to vote, access public services, and legal protections.
They must also fulfill the obligations of a Pakistani citizen, such as adherence to the country’s laws and regulations.
In summary, citizenship by marriage in Pakistan is available to foreigners who marry Pakistani citizens. The process is subject to meeting several criteria, such as good character and compliance with Pakistani laws, with the possibility of losing their previous citizenship if they acquire Pakistani nationality.
Foreign nationals can apply for citizenship through naturalization after fulfilling certain conditions, including a period of residency in Pakistan.