'Don't revoke PIO card of Moin Qureshi's daughter till Apr 15'

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre not to revoke till April 15 the Person of Indian Origin (PIO) status of controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi's daughter, who has moved a plea seeking grant of an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card.

According to a Government of India notification of January 2015, all PIO card holders are deemed to be OCI card holders.

However, when Qureshi's daughter, Pernia Qureshi, applied for the OCI status, she was informed that she was ineligible as her mother and grand parents were Pakistani citizens.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru granted her the interim relief, saying she was an Indian citizen for 12 years before becoming a PIO card holder.

He directed the ministries of Home Affairs and External Affairs and the Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) not to revoke her PIO/OCI card till the next date of hearing on April 15.

The ministries, represented by central government standing counsel Anurag Ahluwalia, had contended that according to a provision in the Citizenship Act 1955, "no person, who is or had been a citizen of Pakistan, Bangladesh or such other country as the central government may, by notification in the official gazette, specify, shall be eligible for registration as an OCI card holder".

The government's stand was opposed by Qureshi's lawyers who contended that the provision was not applicable to her.