LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif said on Friday that he will prove that he does not hold any other nationality, but is a Pakistani, Express News reported.
The Supreme Court on Thursday had summoned Sharif over Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Raja Riaz’s allegations that the former held dual nationality.
Today, the Punjab chief minister said that the ones who leveled allegations against him should resign if proven wrong.
Sharif said that he will go to the court, whenever summoned, because he has always respected the judiciary.
Taking note of the allegations, the Supreme Court had issued notices to both Shahbaz and Riaz to appear before the apex court on October 17.
COMMENTS (26)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
@Duah: Please limit yourself to the subject and that is 'Dual Nationality". You do not have to VENT your feelings regarding other things/subjects.
@Juju: Why don't you read the constitution of Pakistan instead of writing this long winded comment. The constitution says clearly that no person with dual nationality will be allowed to contest elections. Those who are sitting in the NA and PAs with dual nationality are dishonest and should have known better. Ignorance of law is no excuse in any court in any country of the world.
@Zain ul Abideen: Sir, I agree with you 100%. The reason he is 100% Pakistani national is "Saudi govt does not grant citizenship like the maligned western govts." That is why both of these brothers remained Pakistani citizens despite being out. Regards, Mirza
@Imran: I agree with you. Whenever I write any comment on yahoo.com it is posted automatically. There is no room for any moderator. I think ET must change its policy. This is one good thing from USA. You have FREEDOM of speech. Can ET follow it and fire its moderator.
I am not a dual national, only Pakistani: Shahbaz Sharif That is probably his biggest achievement in the last ~5 years of Governance in Punjab.
PML-N is the only political party in the country to have a clear stand on dual nationality of public officeholders. The two major coalition partners in Federal as well as Sindh Government have their inherited Chairman and lifetime Quaid respectively are strong textUK citizens, having spent most part of their lives in London rather than in Pakistan. Therefore, PPP’s and MQM’s support for dual nationality is logical but dilly-dally (perhaps to pave way for Suleiman Essa or Tyrean Jade) by PTI is a criminal silence!!!
ET has done a great job by exposing the double lies of dual nationals: http://tribune.com.pk/story/447253/divided-loyalties-double-trouble-for-dual-national-lawmakers/
The fact mentioned DevilHunterX is an eye opener for all those who have only one example in the entire world to support their lame argument.
If Shahbaz Sharif is a dual national, he should also be disqualified and if semi-literate Raja Riaz has made a false accusation he should also be punished under the law.
@Duah, you information about PMLN is wrong. Most legislation for woment rights during last 4 years have been done by Punjab assembly. Please get some information before believing in an illusion. Just to give you an example, punjab assembly recently passed a bill which puts acid throwing cases under terrorism act to give the max. punishment to the culprits.
@Imran, dear please do get some information before putting it on the forum.
Firstly, all the people in the Gulf are not low wagers. We have quite a no. of high ranking professionals and businessmen in the Gulf. Just to give you one example (bear in mind it is just one example), just check RAK free zone website. one third of the companies registered their are owned by Paksitanis!
Secondly, your information about illegal channel is wrong. They use legal channel only. There has no benefit left to use hundi anymore. SInce PMLN's last govt in 1997 has discarded taxation on foreign remittances, people are using banks, western union and other money exchange companies more and more to transfer funds to Pakistan. Now Imran Khan is thinking to put tax again on foreign remittances if God forbid he get any chance in the govt...I will be terrible for overseas Paksitanis. Also note that when people say Paksitan is running on foreign remittances sent by overseas Pakistan to Pakistan, it means it is done through proper channel as it is useful to govt only udner these conditions. If there will be hundi, it will be of no use to govt. Check the stats again whether govt is depeding on foreign exchange or not. If it is, then it means it is through proper channel.
Thirdly, you are delusioned about money sent by arabs to Paksitan to support their brand of Islam. This is a myth. And even if that money is sent if we accept you claim, as your proposed, it is just to support their brand of Islam not for the masses or govt. But here govt is getting benefit of foreign remittances.
Shabaz Shareef does not have Indian citizenship.
Around 6 hours ago, I had posted a comment about the credibility and integrity of the Sharifs given their track record, and it never made it on the forum. Censoring my comment by the moderator was nothing but professional dishonesty. He should not consider his personal liking and disliking for carrying out his job.
@Majid: Major share of Foreign remittances from the middle east is a myth.
First, most of the people in middle east are law wagers. Second, they don't use legal channels to send the money anyways. They use hundi/hawala and consequently the foreign exchange never enters the country. After tightening of the money laundering laws in the West, people from the western countries have no option but to send money (foreign exchange) via legal channels, and they make up the bulk of the remittances. Third, the only sizable chunk that comes from the middle east is the donations sent by Arabs to their radical counterparts in Pakistan to promote their brand of Islam. This money has done nothing other than creating fanatics and butchers in Pakistan. This kind of money transfer has to stop.As far as my knowledge tells me, Italian citizens men and women both never loose their nationality, for the Italian law so this is just something to do with Indian laws inside India she lost her first citizen i.e Italian. Besides, she had to prove it publicly to continue in politics hence the returning of Italian passport story. Mr. Mukherjee and his gang needs to read up and stay up to date with facts, then passing careless, negligent incorrect facts around.
That is why you hid away in Saudi Arbia for 8 years.
Foreign remittances do not come from dual nationals. Major part of foreign remittances which is running country at the moment comes from middle east migrants with only one and only Pakistani nationality. Why fake liberals and leftists are combining dual nationality with foreign remittances?
I am totally bemused by often comments made by the supporters of office bearers with dual nationalities. They either are ill informed, ignorant of facts or just sheer nusense. It is legal and binding obligation on every public representative to be only Pakistani national. This leaves no room for the debate.
The SCP of Pakistan and the EC is upholding the law of the land. What is there to do with remittance or loyalties. If dual national Pakistani's wish to take part in elections or in any aspect of public offices then renounce foreign nationalities and no one can ever raise a finger against them. Sonia Ghandhi renounced Italian nationality and takes part in Indian politics, why not Altaf and other loyal to Pakistan do the same.
There is difference between people who have dual nationality. those dual nationals who are living outside Pakistan and doing business and sending foreign reserve to Pakistan. These people are patriotic and serving to Pakistan in actual sense, but those dual nationals who are in Pakistan and serving in Pakistan government or other organization, having dual nationality purposefully for escape after looting national assets. These people have no right to serve as parliamentarian or on other prominent posts.
@Juju and others Dual nationality is legal since it can only be attained when two countries reach an agreement on this setup. There are no two factual opinions about this.
What is being talked about is the utility of dual nationals to hold public office and there sincerity if they do.
It is very simple to talk emotionally about patriotism and Pakistan first, but the state of daily lives (traffic, bureaucracy, govt, shops, looting) shows that we never really do anything above this useless lip service.
I dont agree that a dual national should be allowed to take public office; should they vote, sure; but no representative position if they have a foreign passport which allows them to loot and run at wil.
Also, it seems naive that people compare dual nationality clauses with countries like the UK. You have to think rationally and realize that these are first world countries; people are not as desperate to get out of them as our people are to get into them.
Forget the individuals and understand the general psychology. If you make that effort honestly, you will clearly see that permitting foreign nationals with security blankets in first world countries to legislate for us, is akin to stacking the deck against yourself.
@Juju: Senior Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee said that she surrendered her Italian passport to the Italian Embassy on 27 April 1983. Italian nationality law did not permit dual nationality until 1992. So, by acquiring Indian citizenship in 1983, she would automatically have lost Italian citizenship.
Parliamentarian or lawmakers should be ONLY Pakistani......you can be loyal to one country....this way, if they full stake in Pakistan then will create an environment of Peace and good economy in Pakistan only. Not the other way around. they earn in Pakistan and then runaway when they feel insecure..... when their stakes are only in Pakistan they will work for it sincerely.
Every dual national Pakistani says that he is a Pakistani. There is no doubt that the dual national is first Pakistani and than any other national.
I don't think that it is my duty to suggest to the Chairman of NADRA to maintain the list of all dual nationals Pakistanis in NADRA's data base while issuing CNIC, NIPCOP or POC.
Had NADRA been maintaining such records, it would have become much more easier for the Supreme Court as well as for Election Commission of Pakistan to verify the dual nationalities of the legislators and instead of going and asking the legislators on individual basis, the credential of Pakistani legislators would have been verified with the click of a computer mouse but whose is going to give this vision to the government servants?
Allah bless Shehbaz Sharif. He is a true patriotic person.
I don't know when common sense will prevail in this country. Dual Nationality does not mean you're not loyal. Pakistan's forex reserves run on remittances by Overseas Pakistanis. We need to progress and not regress in this global village. Former Canadian Prime Minister John Turner was born in the UK and still retains his dual nationality. Former Indian Leader of Opposition and now the chief whip behind the United Progressive Alliance government, Sonia Gandhi, was born and raised in Italy. If a constituency feels it can be better served by a "disloyal" dual-national let it elect him, his performance will speak for his loyalty. If a constituency feels only a single-citizenship member can somehow provide relief then let it elect him. Yes, it's that simple! What do PCO judges have to do with anything, I have no clue.
A lot of people in Pakistan left the country to provide for their families (mostly settled in Pakistan). Sometimes it was because of political oppression, like Bacha Khan did not even allow his grave to be made in Pakistan, or our Baloch and MQM leaders who've been forced into exile just because they don't tow the line of the establishment.
Do you not remember what happened to Nauroz Khan Zehri? Let me give you a small reminder, he was urged to give up arms fighting against General Ayub's one-unit scheme. General Tikka Khan had sworn on the Holy Quran to give amnesty to Nauroz if he and his followers dropped their weapons. What happened? Nawab Nauroz Khan and his four sons were tortured and hanged in Rawalpindi. Does anyone not remember what happened to Shaheed Rani Benazir when she dared to disobey the "loyal' forces by coming home before elections or do you not remember what happened to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto when he disobeyed their "loyal" orders?
When will we as a country and hopefully as one nation grow out of this "you're a traitor" "that guy is a traitor" propaganda politics? I urge all the readers to have an open mind, get their facts straight and consider all matters without prejudice or bias.
Even though I'm not a fan of the present setup but a great move by the President was to initiate politics of reconciliation. Another great move was to begin development at Thar which the Nawaz Government had halted for the sole purpose of forcing Kalabagh Dam on Pakistan when 3 out of 4 provinces had already passed unanimous resolutions against it. If you haven't been informed, Sindh was already facing less water supply due to the current Punjab Govt blocking water for "irrigation". They do open the dam gates in the flood season though!