Key bureaucratic privilege faces axe

NA panel backs ending dual citizenship Ban proposed to include judges too Final decision expected by February 16

ISLAMABAD:

A proposal to end dual citizenship for members of the bureaucracy gained momentum on Monday after a parliamentary panel voted in favour of abolishing the practice, with lawmakers also calling for the restriction to be extended to judges.

During a meeting of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on the Cabinet Secretariat, chaired by Ibrar Ahmed, members backed the proposal to bar civil servants from holding dual nationality.

The committee members argued that if parliamentarians were constitutionally prohibited from holding dual citizenship, the same standard should apply to senior state functionaries.

Committee member Noor Alam Khan questioned why bureaucrats continued to enjoy a privilege denied to elected representatives. He said that if even his sister or daughter held dual citizenship, he would not be willing to sit with her.

Responding to the discussion, Minister of State Tahira Aurangzeb shared a personal example, stating that her daughter had been an Australian national but chose to renounce her citizenship in order to enter parliament.

At this, the Cabinet Secretary clarified that if parliament decided to legislate on the matter, the government was prepared to move forward with the required lawmaking.

The Establishment Division informed the committee that while dual citizenship was permitted in 21 countries, some individuals nonetheless went on to acquire citizenship of additional states. The committee chairman said a final decision on the matter would be taken on February 16.

The meeting also took up the issue of Pakistan's participation in the US President Donald Trump's Gaza Peace Board. Committee member Agha Rafiullah asked who had placed the summary before the cabinet.

Cabinet Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal explained that the cabinet had unanimously approved the summary submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that the prime minister's statement on the matter was entirely accurate.

Separately, a proposal to grant a Rs90,000 travel allowance to federal secretaries came under discussion.

Noor Alam Khan, speaking sarcastically, remarked that restrictions applied only to members of parliament, while officers continued to enjoy every facility. He pointed out that under the existing policy, officers provided with official vehicles were not entitled to travel allowances but in practice, many were receiving both benefits.

The committee chairman directed the Cabinet Secretary to ensure effective checks and balances to enforce the policy. However, the Cabinet Division secretary opposed removing the requirement for officers to submit compliance certificates confirming adherence to the rules.