Dual nationality: Another petition filed against Malik

Supreme Court has asked Interior Minister to submit ‘genuine’ documents by June 4.


Our Correspondent June 03, 2012

ISLAMABAD:


Another application was filed in the Supreme Court against the interior minister’s dual nationality case amid contradictory reports on whether Rehman Malik is still a British national or not.


A report published in an English newspaper claims that the British authorities have accepted Malik’s application to revoke his British nationality, while the petitioner Advocate Akram Sheikh claims that Malik is still a citizen of the UK.

However, a UK-based Pakistani lawyer who deals with immigration cases, Muzamil Mukhtar says the British authorities are not permitted to disclose the status of a current or former national, unless the person in question gives in writing that they are allowed to do so.

Sheikh, who filed the application on behalf of journalist Shahid Masood on Saturday, urged the court to administer restraint on dual nationalities of parliamentarians. He also produced relevant material which he noted would help the court in the case. “It is most respectfully prayed that this court … to take into consideration the documents attached with this application.”

In its last hearing, the Supreme Court rejected the documents submitted by Malik, asking him to submit ‘genuine’ documents by June 4 which proclaim that he has handed in an affidavit to give up his UK citizenship in 2008.

Sheikh maintains that holding another country’s citizenship creates inherent conflicts of interest and disables the person in question from exercising his/her obligations honestly and truly.

He cited the example of American citizens who take an oath to be loyal and faithful to US interests. According to Article 5 of the Constitution of Pakistan, a citizen is promised extraterritorial protection in return for “unquestioned loyalty to the state.”

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated Interior Ministry in place of Interior Minister. The correction has been made.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2012.

COMMENTS (15)

Fatima | 11 years ago | Reply Being a patriotic Pakistan I’m simply shocked at the brazen usurpation of powers of the Executive and Legislative Branches. So this SC under Article 184 (3) can now decide and order virtually any thing under the sun since it will affect the fundamental rights, even if a particular provision of our Constitution says otherwise, as is the case of disqualification of national assembly members. This SC has become a joke. It has gone berserk in judicial excessiveness. Now it can ban wearing of trousers, listening of music, order removal of cricket captain, ban pop drinks, dismiss city mayors, etc, etc, since they all affect various kinds of fundamental rights one way or the other.
Tanweer | 11 years ago | Reply

@Logic Europe: Mind you, we are not talking of 'millions of Pakistanis', we are talking of legislatures who have to make laws. In the case of conflict of interests which country they'll side with? Poor Pakistan or the country they have taken oath to be loyal to? I am sure they'll side with the country they have stashed away their ill-gotten wealth in - for fear of not not losing it. Without me and you even knowing about it. Isn't it what has been happening for decades?

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