Indian woman doctor wins round one in Pakistan’s bid to deport her

An Iindian woman doctor married to a Pakistani has temporarily averted deportation following the intervention of the High Court in North Wes...

An Iindian woman doctor married to a Pakistani has temporarily averted deportation following the intervention of the High Court in North West Frontier Province (NWFP).

The court in Peshawar stayed the deportation order on Dr Divya Dayanan, who hails from Kerala, for the time being and asked the government to submit the reasons for refusing her request for Pakistani citizenship.

The court also ordered police not to arrest the doctor, who is pregnant, until further orders, media reports here said on Friday.

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Dr Dayanan, was married to Aman Khan in July, 2003 and settled down in Mardan town of Pakistan and is currently working in one of the local hospitals.

After marriage, she converted to Islam and changed her name to Hafsa.

The woman doctor stayed in Pakistan under temporary visa and later faced deportation after Pakistan’s Interior Minister declined to grant her citizenship.

Her lawyer approached the High Court with the plea that she is entitled to get Pakistan citizenship under the rule that she married a Pakistani citizen, the Daily Times reported.

She also submitted a affidavit surrendering her Indian citizenship.

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She said she is expecting a child next month and was not sure if the baby will be given Indian or Pakistani citizenship.