Dual nationality status

Expatriates may seem far removed from politics at home but they show an interest in the affairs of the country

It is quite a painful decision to renounce the citizenship of one country in favour of another. On Saturday, Pakistani authorities spared 30,000 of its nationals currently living and working in Denmark from making such a choice. In the bargain Denmark has become the 19th country to have a dual nationality treaty with Pakistan. Only three of these countries — Bahrain, Syria and Egypt — are Muslim majority states.  Lawmakers in Copenhagen have already ratified the move which will delight thousands of Pakistani settlers in the northern European country.



The issue had been pending for some time with the Pakistan government. A summary had even been sent to the prime minister exactly a year ago to consider dual nationality for Pakistani nationals settled in Denmark. The petitioners had shared their anxiety with the PM as they recounted the troubles they had to face on account of their situation. Yet it took close to a year to conclusively resolve this matter.

The delay in granting the status of dual nationality had proved costly for hundreds of Pakistanis preventing them from taking part in the wider affairs of the country and even visiting their country of birth without a visa. Still, many more among those living overseas would like to vote in the general election scheduled next year and perhaps enter the fray as contestants. Expatriate workers may seem far removed from the reality of politics at home but they do show extraordinary interest in the affairs of the country. A number of them, for instance, claim to know how to come up with a quick fix for every problem under the sun.



The argument for dual nationality is a fairly strong one – weighing  the usefulness of expatriates for their remittances and business investments in the country. The counterargument, however, against dual nationality — routinely employed by states like India — seems to thrive on the deep-rooted conspiracy and fear that state secrets would be jeopardised as a result.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2017.

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