Geeta, who had crossed over to Pakistan over 10 years ago, arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Monday. Geeta will undergo a DNA test and will be allowed to be adopted only after results confirm her ties with the family from Bihar. The MEA has also selected two organisations, working with special people, which can host Geeta in case the DNA test fails to prove the same.
The event is also being seen as a moment of "feel good" diplomacy between the two countries. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is expected to address the media in the afternoon.
Following the press conference, the High Commissioner of Pakistan will felicitate members of the Edhi Foundation and Geeta on the High Commission premises. A Pakistani diplomatic source has told The Hindu that the return of Geeta represents Pakistan’s commitment to allow people-to-people contact.
Geeta (L), seen with Bilquis Edhi, after arriving at the Delhi airport. Photo: Prashant Nakwe
Govt. may invoke Section 13 to grant citizenship
A senior government official had told The Hindu that since there were no documents on Geeta to prove that she was an Indian citizen, they would apply Section 13 of the Indian citizenship Act to facilitate her stay in India.
Section 13 of the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955, says that, “the Central government, may, in such cases as it thinks fit, certify that a person, with respect to whose citizenship of India a doubt exists, is a citizen of India; and a certificate issued under this section shall, unless it is proved that it was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or concealment of any material fact, be conclusive evidence that person was such a citizen on the date thereof, but without prejudice to any evidence that he was such a citizen at an earlier date.” > More..
