Pakistan: Whether the Pakistan Citizenship Act, 1951 is still in effect, in particular Section 17 (certificate of domicile); the circumstances under which this certificate is needed and the process to obtain one; specifications for the photo used, for example, the size, colour of the background, and whether the photos are in colour or black and white
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Publication Date | 4 November 2009 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | PAK103308.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Pakistan: Whether the Pakistan Citizenship Act, 1951 is still in effect, in particular Section 17 (certificate of domicile); the circumstances under which this certificate is needed and the process to obtain one; specifications for the photo used, for example, the size, colour of the background, and whether the photos are in colour or black and white, 4 November 2009, PAK103308.E , available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4dd106992.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
During a 26 October 2009 telephone interview, an official at the Pakistan High Commission in Ottawa indicated that although the Pakistan Citizenship Act, 1951 has been amended, provisions relating to the certificate of domicile are still in effect. The Official stated that the certificate of domicile indicates the region where an individual was born and also displays the individual's current address (Pakistan 26 Oct. 2009). He indicated that the certificate of domicile is needed to apply to professional colleges, such as engineering or medical colleges, and government jobs (ibid.). The Official also provided the information in the following paragraph.
In order to obtain the certificate, an individual can provide documentation on his or her primary, secondary and intermediate education, as a means to prove what region he or she is from. An individual can also provide documentation on property ownership in order to prove where he or she has been residing. Usually, the photo on the certificate is in colour and it is passport-sized. The background of the photo may be different in different regions, but usually the photos have a light background. The issuing authority is the District Coordinating Officer, who works for a management group of the Pakistan government. The Official also stated that it usually takes approximately one month for an individual's certificate of domicile application to be processed.
A 16 October 2009 Daily Times article indicates citizens living in Karachi are encountering obstacles when trying to obtain legal documents, including permanent residence certificates and domicile certificates. According to applicants interviewed by the Daily Times, the process to obtain these documents is "complex and expensive" (16 Oct. 2009). Applicants' grievances include not receiving their documents within the official processing time of seven days (Daily Times 16 Oct. 2009). Additionally, the article indicates that some applicants had to travel outside of their cities to obtain the documents, due to limited offices and the limited hours kept by issuing authorities (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Daily Times [Karachi]. 16 October 2009. Irfan Aligi. "DDO's Poor Performance Preventing Citizens from Aquiring Domiciles."
Pakistan. 26 October 2009. Pakistan High Commission, Ottawa. Telephone interview with an official.
Additional Sources Consulted
Internet sites, including: Civil Service of Pakistan, Government of Pakistan - Ministry of the Interior, Legislation Online, The Nation [Lahore], Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Reworld, United States (US) Department of State - Reciprocity Schedule.