SC stays Home Ministry’s circular to issue citizenship by descent

Kathmandu / Apr 8: Supreme Court has issued an interim order to suspend the decision of Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) to issue citizenship based on descent.

A single bench of Justice Purushottam Bhandari ordered the government not to execute the decision until the final verdict. The apex court has summoned the plaintiff and the defendants for the hearing on April 16.

The MoHA had circulated all 77 district administrations to issue citizenship based on the descent at a time when the proposal to amend the Citizenship Act is still sub-judice at the federal parliament. Senior advocate Bal Krishna Neupane had filed a writ against the decision. The Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, MoHA among others have been mentioned defendants in the writ.