*ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior on Friday released a reportunderlining details of foreigners who have been given the citizenship ofPakistan in the recent years.*
In the last year years, as many as 635 foreigners were given thecitizenship of Pakistan, the Interior Ministry said.
It said the decision on 150 applications of foreigners was yet to be taken.
The report highlighted that 461 Indians were among those acquiringPakistani citizenship in the recent times.
Similarly, 43 people from Afghanistan, 22 from Sri Lanka, 15 from UnitedKingdom, 10 from United States, 14 from Bangladesh and 12 from Philippinesgot the citizenship of Pakistan.
The report further states that four each people Canada, Japan and Egyptbecame naturalized Pakistanis.
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It may be noted here Prime Minister Imran Khan in September last year hadannounced that Afghans and Bengalis living in the country for many decadeswould be issued National Identity Cards and passports, which wouldeffectively make them formal citizens of Pakistan.
In February, Prime Minister Khan issued directives for the opening of bankaccounts of the Afghan refugees, who are registered in the country
Pakistan is one of the largest refugee-hosting nations in the world, hometo an estimated 2.4 million registered and undocumented people who havefled Afghanistan, some as far back as the Soviet invasion of 1979.
