Dual nationality case: SC gives Malik 24 hours to prove renouncement
Rehman Malik may lose parliament membership if required documents are not submitted tomorrow.
ISLAMABAD:
During the hearing of the dual nationality case, the Supreme Court rejected the documents submitted by Interior Minister Rehman Malik and said he had one day to prove that he has renounced his British citizenship, Express News reported on Wednesday.
The minister's failure in satisfying the court by showing the receipt of the payment made to forgo his British citizenship may cause him to lose his membership in the parliament.
“You are showing us the form,” said Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to the minister’s counsel, Chaudhry Azhar. “Show us the declaration renouncing his (British) citizenship.”
The court also directed Attorney General (AG) Irfan Qadir to write to the national and provincial assemblies for information regarding MNAs and MPAs with dual nationalities.
Earlier, Malik’s lawyer had failed to produce any evidence of Malik renouncing his British citizenship. He had submitted an affidavit before the court stating that he renounced his citizenship in 2008, but has failed to produce the required evidence.
The counsel had tried to shift the court’s attention towards technical issues of the documentation. The bench did not accept this and reaffirmed that all he had to do was show the receipt of the payment made to forgo the citizenship.
During the last hearing, the Supreme Court suspended the National Assembly membership of Farahnaz Ispahani, media adviser to President Asif Ali Zardari, for holding a US citizenship and warned Malik over the matter too.
Giving an extension to the interior minister as per his request to provide the receipt, the court had warned that if he failed to provide it, his membership in the parliament would also be suspended on May 30.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Mahmood Akhtar Naqvi, who alleged that Rehman Malik held British nationality.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated "membership in the National Assembly" instead of "membership in the parliament". The correction has been made.
During the hearing of the dual nationality case, the Supreme Court rejected the documents submitted by Interior Minister Rehman Malik and said he had one day to prove that he has renounced his British citizenship, Express News reported on Wednesday.
The minister's failure in satisfying the court by showing the receipt of the payment made to forgo his British citizenship may cause him to lose his membership in the parliament.
“You are showing us the form,” said Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to the minister’s counsel, Chaudhry Azhar. “Show us the declaration renouncing his (British) citizenship.”
The court also directed Attorney General (AG) Irfan Qadir to write to the national and provincial assemblies for information regarding MNAs and MPAs with dual nationalities.
Earlier, Malik’s lawyer had failed to produce any evidence of Malik renouncing his British citizenship. He had submitted an affidavit before the court stating that he renounced his citizenship in 2008, but has failed to produce the required evidence.
The counsel had tried to shift the court’s attention towards technical issues of the documentation. The bench did not accept this and reaffirmed that all he had to do was show the receipt of the payment made to forgo the citizenship.
During the last hearing, the Supreme Court suspended the National Assembly membership of Farahnaz Ispahani, media adviser to President Asif Ali Zardari, for holding a US citizenship and warned Malik over the matter too.
Giving an extension to the interior minister as per his request to provide the receipt, the court had warned that if he failed to provide it, his membership in the parliament would also be suspended on May 30.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Mahmood Akhtar Naqvi, who alleged that Rehman Malik held British nationality.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated "membership in the National Assembly" instead of "membership in the parliament". The correction has been made.