ISLAMABAD, 18 July 2004 — A heavily pregnant Indian doctor, who last July converted to Islam to marry her Pakistani husband, has been refused citizenship and is now facing deportation from Pakistan.
Dr. Divya Dayanan, 22, now Hafza Aman, married Aman Khan Hoti last year after embracing Islam. The two settled in Mardan, 60 kilometers north of Peshawar. They are expecting their first child next month.
The couple met while studying in Ukraine. Aman returned home in 1998 without completing his studies while Divya received her degree in medicine.
Since then they have made numerous applications to senior officials in the Home Ministry to have Hafza registered as a Pakistani citizen but to no avail.
Even an order by the Peshawar High Court in her favor has so far fallen on deaf ears in the ministry. After Hafza’s entry permit was extended three times, she received permission from the high court to stay on in Pakistan until July 30.
“My wife is going to deliver her first baby next month and who will be responsible if, God forbid something happens to her as a result of the continuous stress she is undergoing,” Aman Hoti told Deutsche Presse-Agentur yesterday.
The interior division had asked Hoti’s wife, who comes from the Indian state of Kerala, to leave when her visa expires.
