Kerala High Court: Surrender of Pakistani Passport Not Enough for Indian Citizenship

The Kerala High Court has held that surrendering a Pakistani passport does not by itself confer eligibility for Indian citizenship without a formal Renunciation Certificate under Section 14A of the Pakistan Citizenship Act.

A Division Bench of Justices Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Syam Kumar V.M. set aside a single-judge order that allowed two Pakistani minors to claim citizenship based on surrendered passports and no-objection certificates from the Pakistan High Commission.

The Court ruled that India does not recognise dual citizenship and compliance with renunciation procedures is mandatory, though citizenship can be granted once requirements are met.

[Union of India v. Rasheeda Bano and Ors.]