No dual citizenship for Pak, Bangla PIOs, says Tytler

Dual citizenship will not be granted to people in Pak and Bangladesh for the time being for obvious reasons, he said.

Dual citizenship will not be granted to Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) in Pakistan and Bangladesh for the time being, Minister for Overseas Affairs Jagdish Tytler said in New Delhi on Monday.

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Inaugurating the International Congress of NRIs in New Delhi, he said the grant of citizenship to PIOs required a legislation and the process will be completed within three months by his ministry in coordination with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Noting that the dual citizenship promise was made at the just-concluded Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, he said the next such event will be held only if the government fulfils its promises, including grant of dual-citizenship to all PIOs.

"Such a status will not be granted to people in Pakistan and Bangladesh for the time being for obvious reasons," the minister said, adding the security of the country was of prime importance.

Visualising India as the "most powerful intellectual country by 2020", Tytler outlined a number of programmes that the UPA government intends to implement to facilitate strengthening of bonding between Indians living abroad and their motherland.

A major project of creating cities within cities will be implemented at 122 places across the country and it has already kicked off in Mumbai and Trivandrum, the minister said.