‘Pakistan needs dual nationality pact with Germany, Spain’

Ishrat Ali says Pakistanis have to renounce their nationality when granted citizenship of these countries

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan needs to enter a dual nationality pact with Germany and Spain as Pakistanis have to renounce their nationality when granted citizenship to these countries, Immigration and Passports Director General Ishrat Ali said on Friday.

During a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis, the official revealed that Pakistan had a dual nationality agreement with 19 countries including 11 European countries so far.

The countries with which Pakistan has a dual nationality agreement include the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, Belgium, France, Iceland, Italy Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, Jordan, Egypt, the Netherlands, Syria, Bahrain, Finland and Denmark.



Special Assistant to the PM on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari informed the committee that the number attachés in Saudi Arabia and the UAE were being increased and the pensions of the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) would be further increased.

“The minimum pension limit will be increased to Rs15,000,” he added.

Bukhari said the procedure for the appointment of community welfare attachés would be changed.

“Employees who are aware of labour laws will be appointed.”

After their appointment, the community welfare attachés will be bound to work for six months in the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation. “The number of welfare attachés will be increased where there is a higher labour force.”

During the meeting, the EOBI chairman said the number of insured people was 7.79 million while there were 627,000 beneficiaries.

“The EOBI has distributed Rs161.85 billion in pensions while the amount of the current EOBI funds is Rs331.78 billion.”

The chairman said EOBI funds were misappropriated between 2009 and 2012 but now the institution’s system had improved.

He said the EOBI had a total of 83 assets in the country which were worth Rs41.30 billion. “Of them, the Supreme Court had taken suo motu notices of 18 properties and they were worth Rs34.48 billion,” he added.