Pakistani family struggling for Bahraini nationality

Manama

A family of Pakistani origin, which has been residing in Bahrain for the past 56 years, is seeking the sympathy of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for recognizing them with Bahraini citizenship.

Hasina Jafar Ali, the mother, aged 67 appealed to His Majesty King Hamad saying, “have sympathy on us and grant us the Bahraini citizenship so that we could live a happy life without depending on others.” 

Speaking to Hasina said that she had been living in Bahrain for the last 56 years. She has seen the Kingdom of Bahrain being born and grown up into the strong and beautiful nation, as it is today. Her family has been living on the soil of Bahrain for the last three generations but they are still “non Bahrainis”.

She claimed that it hurts her a great deal as all her kids, including 47 year old daughter Riffat Shafi, and three sons Syed Wajid Ali, 44, Syed Amjad Ali, 42 and Syed Babar Ali, 38, were born, brought up in Bahrain.

Neither of them has ever been to any other country and they do not want to be. “We are all loyal to the Kingdom and will always remain so till our last breath,” she said, “As a widow and a mother, I would personally like to request His Majesty King Hamad to kindly grant us Bahraini nationalities.”     

The Pakistani family has been fighting for more than 15 years for Bahraini Nationality which (late) Syed Jafar Ali, the family head applied in 2000.  He came to Bahrain in 1955 and worked as a chief engineer in the Gulf Hotel Bahrain for 40 years till his death in 2005.

The family was interviewed almost 9 times since the year 2000 and has submitted numerous requests to Immigration and the Royal Court to follow-up on their application status but each time they have been informed that “you are on the waiting list”.

There are many other Pakistani families who are facing a similar problem.  According to the estimate of Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, there are almost sixty thousand Pakistanis in Bahrain and they have been here since 1920. Bahrain is the first Arab country to grant citizenship to people who had served its country.