Wednesday, July 20 2005 14:14 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has lifted the restrictions on the movement of Keralites holding Pakistan citizenship in the state, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said today (July 20, 2005).

Informing this in the assembly, he said they could move freely in any part of the state without getting prior sanction of the local authorities.

Chandy was replying to a submission of P K K Bava (IUML), requesting the government to have humanitarian approach to the Kerala-born persons holding Pakistan citizenship. They also did not have to present themselves before police stations, the Chief Minister said.

Chandy said, the state governemnt had already asked the Centre to issue Indian Citizenship to these people as they were Pakistan citizens only on technical ground.

Bava pointed out that, there were 400 Keralities holding Pakistan citizenship in the Malabar region of the state. He said most of them were old-people and their only wish was to remain in the state during their last days.