Dual-national SAPMs

Tania Aidrus and Dr Zafar Mirza's exit is not going to send a good signal in the efforts for reversing brain drain

It’s perfectly in line with the Constitution of Pakistan: a dual-nationality holder can be appointed as special assistant to the prime minister (SAPM). A recent reminder to this effect has come from the Islamabad High Court. On Thursday, Chief Justice Athar Minallah dismissed a petition that asked the high court to declare the appointment of dual-national SAPMs null and void arguing that somebody owing his allegiance to another country should not be holding key government positions and making decisions about the country.

However, despite there being nothing unconstitutional or illegal about the appointment as SAPM of a Pakistani also holding the nationality of another country, fingers were being raised for quite some time at about a dozen special assistants to Prime Minister Imran Khan, some of whom — it was later revealed — were dual nationals. Not just the opposition, the ruling party members too were critical of such appointments. For the opposition, it was a good opportunity to make some political noise on “yet another U-turn” by Imran Khan who, before coming to power, bitterly opposed those swearing an oath of allegiance to another country taking up roles of government aides, advisers and ministers.

Besides, it is pretty understandable for the elected lot belonging to the ruling party to be unhappy with non-elected SAPMs being appointed incharge of ministries and allowed to take decisions on issues of public interest. A few of them have openly expressed their reservations. This heart burn and ill will derives justification from the fact that it’s the elected representatives who have to face the wrath of their voters in their constituency even though the control of the ministries responsible for solving public problems rests with the non-elected SAPMs.

And with this criticism growing came the resignations of two SAPMs — Tania Aidrus and Dr Zafar Mirza, respectively responsible for Digital Pakistan and Health Services. Both had taken up the national assignments while leaving their lucrative foreign jobs, and their unceremonious exit is not going to send a good signal in the context of efforts for reversing the brain drain. If there is nothing unconstitutional about it, nothing else should stop a Pakistani from serving his country.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2020.

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