Dual citizenship: Arrest warrants out for PPP's Nadia Gabol, Farahnaz Ispahani

Judge orders that the former MPA and MNA be produced before before the court by September 1

A court in Karachi issued arrest warrants for Pakistan People's Party leaders Nadia Gabol and Farahnaz Ispahani on Saturday in a case pertaining to their dual citizenship.

While hearing a petition seeking action against parliamentarians  disqualified for not disclosing their dual nationalities, the Session Judge Karachi South issued the warrants directing that Gabol and Ispahani, former MPA and MNA respectively, be produced before before the court by September 1.

The dismissal pleas filed by the two leaders, who were disqualified by the top court, have already been dismissed and charges will be framed against them.

Ispahani lawyer told the court that his client was abroad for medical treatment so she should be exempted from appearing before the the court.



The prosecutor representing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) told the court that the defendants were deliberately delaying court proceedings against them.

In 2012, the ECP had issued notifications of disqualification for 11 members of the parliament after the Supreme Court deemed them disqualified in the dual nationality case.

They included MNAs Zahid Iqbal‚ Farahnaz Ispahani‚ Farhat Mehmood Khan‚ and Jamil Ahmad Malik and MPAs Muhammad Akhlaq MPA Muhammad Ashraf Chohan‚ Nadia Gabol‚ Chaudhry Wasim Qadir, Chaudhry Nadeem Khadim‚ Amna Bhuttar and Dr Ahmad Ali Shah.

Announcing the verdict earlier, the court said that under article 63 (1) (C) of the constitution‚ no parliamentarian could hold dual citizenship.