THIS has been a matter that all governments since independence have kept away from. The caretaker government's move to consider giving voting rights and therefore granting citizenship to the so-called stranded Pakistanis or Biharis, after 35 years, is a bold step that deserves to belauded.

In fact there has been an anomalous situation prevailing in respect of these people, which we believe the government's decision will clear the air about. Reportedly, some of the stranded non-Bengalees have been employed in government jobs, not to speak of their finding employment in private organisations, and many have already been included in the voter list and have exercised their voting rights in the past elections, both national and local. On the other hand many have had to live a most horrid existence amidst the most squalid of conditions in ICRC camps. We should also be aware of the fact that not all Urdu speaking people are beholden to Pakistan. Many of this category have been physically and psychologically a part of the country and have been fullyintegratedinto our social and culturallife.

There are three categories of people who are covered under the general categorization of stranded Pakistanis. There're those pre-71 non-Bengalees who have opted for Pakistan after the liberation of Bangladesh. They continue to express their allegiance to Pakistan. And then there are those pre-71 non-Bengalees who have opted for the citizenship of Bangladesh. The third groupis the progenies of these two categories, who were born in Bangladesh after 1971, and there are at least two generations of them, who have all the rights to be accorded the citizenship of the country of their birth.

We feel that the criterion set by the government of according citizenship is very rational. While the Bangladesh government can do very little on their own for those that have opted for and are awaiting repatriation to Pakistan, the rest two categories should be accorded their rights without any more delay. Apart from the legalistic point of view there is the humanitarian aspect that we cannot at all overlook. Many of these people have been deprived of their basic rights and are unable to access the basic facilities for a very long time.

Now that Bangladesh has moved to resolve the long standing issue, the resolution will only be partial unless Pakistan also acts to take back those that have opted to go to Pakistan.