The stateless sisters caught between India and Pakistan

In Kerala, India, two sisters are facing a difficult situation because they do not have citizenship in any country. They used to be Pakistani citizens, but now they are not recognized as citizens of Pakistan or India. This has left them stateless, which means they do not have the rights and protections that come with being a citizen. The sisters moved to India with their family in 2008. Their mother, Rasheeda Bano, and their brother have managed to become Indian citizens, but the sisters are still waiting for their chance. In 2017, the sisters surrendered their Pakistani passports to the Pakistan High Commission in India, hoping to start the process of becoming Indian citizens.

However, there was a major obstacle. According to Pakistani law, a person must be at least 21 years old to officially renounce their citizenship. The sisters were younger than 21 at the time, so the High Commission did not issue the renunciation certificates they needed. When the sisters turned 21, they tried again to get the certificates, but the High Commission refused without giving any reason. Their mother asked for their passports to be returned, but that did not happen either. The sisters do have a document from the High Commission stating that they have surrendered their passports and that Pakistan has no objection to them becoming Indian citizens. Unfortunately, the Indian authorities do not accept this document as proof of renunciation.

Because of this, the sisters cannot get Indian citizenship. They took their case to court, and last year, a judge ruled in their favor, saying it was impossible for them to get the certificate and ordering the government to grant them citizenship. However, the federal home ministry appealed, and a higher court overturned the decision, insisting that the formal renunciation certificate is necessary for legal clarity. The sisters now have the option to appeal to an even higher court, but their future remains uncertain. Being stateless has made life extremely difficult for the sisters. They cannot get passports, which means they cannot travel abroad. One sister's husband had to leave his job in the Gulf and return to India because she could not join him. The other sister has a son who needs medical treatment in another country, but she cannot leave India. Even simple tasks like getting a mobile phone or enrolling their children in school have been challenging. They have Aadhaar cards, which serve as identification in India, but these do not prove citizenship and do not grant them basic rights. Their lawyer says the sisters are stuck and do not know how to move forward. Their story highlights the challenges faced by people who move between countries and struggle with complicated citizenship rules. The sisters and their family hope that one day they will be able to become Indian citizens and live normal lives again.