NEW DELHI, June 21: Parvez Rashid was born in India in 1963. With an Indian passport he visited Pakistan in 1981 and came back in 1985. Two years later he was arrested by police in Meerut on the charge that he was a Pakistani.However, the Government calls this a half-baked truth. The Ministry of Home Affairs said Rashid visited Pakistan during 1981-'85 and stayed there for four years. While in Pakistan, he visited India in 1984 with a Pakistani passport in the name of Mohd Parvez with an Indian visa for 30 days and returned to Pakistan as a Pak national. In December 1985, he finally came back with his Indian passport.
Rashid approached the Delhi High Court (HC) last week through his counsel Rani Chhaabra saying he has no intention of going back to Pakistan and was carrying on his parental business at Meerut, where he was born.
Justice Mukul Mudgal issued notice to the Home Ministry seeking its reply by July 10, the next date of hearing. The notice on behalf of the Ministry was accepted in the Court byCentral Government standing counsel KC Mittal.
Rashid denied that he ever visited India with a Pakistani passport and alleged that the Under Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs discounted the facts that he was an Indian citizen by birth and ``my brothers, parents, grand-parents are very much Indian citizens''.
Rashid said he was in possession of a birth certificate and the passport of his father, both of which showed his citizenship as Indian.
The petitioner said he left for Pakistan with his passport bearing no Q686762 accompanied by his mother after obtaining visa but admitted that he was fined Rs 200 for overstaying in Pakistan.
He denied visiting India with a Pakistani passport and categorically refuted charges of seeking citizenship in Pakistan.
Rashid was arrested in 1987 by the local police on the allegation that he had voluntarily acquired citizenship of Pakistan and thus ceased to be an Indian citizen.
The petitioner, who is on bail during the pendency of a case under Foreigners Actagainst him, submitted that he got married in India ``with an Indian national in 1996 and has been blessed with a son''.
However, Home Ministry said, ``Reports reveal that Rashid came to India on July 14, 1984 on a Pak passport no AK699558 and on Indian visa in the name of Mohd Parvez and returned to Pakistan on September 5, 1984.''
``Reports also confirm that Mohd Parvez and Parvez Rashid is one and the same person and he has acquired green card and Pakistani citizenship voluntarily ... Therefore, the Central Government declares Parvez Rashid alias Mohd Parvez a Pak national for all purposes,'' the Ministry said.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.