Dual citizenship: Notices issued to 13 lawmakers
In response to another application, the Supreme Court also issued notices to 13 parliamentarians allegedly holding dual citizenship during today’s hearing. The notices were issued to elected members from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Finance Minister Dr Hafeez Shaikh and PML-N MNA Khawaja Asif are prominent among the names with US and Canadian citizenship, while Deputy Senate Chairman Sabir Baloch is also included in the list although his nationality remains unmentioned.
The applicant, Advocate Waheed Anjum, who is representing the Rawalpindi Bar Council, provided the lawmakers’ foreign passports numbers to the apex court during today’s proceedings.
According to his list, the names of parliamentarians with dual citizenship are: PML-N MPA Muhammad Akhlaq, MQM MPA Farhat Muhammad, PPP MPA Tariq Mehmood Alloana, PML-N MPA Dr Muhammad Ashraf Chouhan, PPP MPA Dr Ahmad Ali Shah, MQM MPA Nadia Gabol , PPP’s Amna Buttar, PPP MNA Zahid Iqbal, PML-N MNA Khawaja Muhammad Asif, PPP Senator Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, PPP Senator Sabir Ali Baloch, PML-N MPA Chaudhry Waseem Qadir and PML-N MPA Chaudhry Nadeem Khadim.
The counsel for MNA Zahid Iqbal told the court that his client had informed him that he has no foreign passport. PML-N MNA Khawaja Muhammad Asif told The Express Tribune that he will file a defamation suit against the lawyer who mentioned his name in the list without verification. “I am proud to be a green passport holder,” he said.
The finance minister, while speaking on the floor of the house, said, “I always had one nationality, will have one nationality and will die with that nationality which is Pakistani. I never sought any other nationality and will never seek (it).”
Published In The Express Tribune, June 5th, 2012.
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Hi, as a dual national I send money to Pakistan, and when I visit Pakistan I am very nicely humiliated at airport, property is grabbed by relatives as there is no law to protect my assets, money is transferred to bank officers accounts without my consent, so what else's you want my dear with dual nationality holders?
What everyone is forgetting that there's no provision in constitution to have to nationalities for the legislatures. A Pakistani can have two nationalities but he/she has to forfeit one when he/she takes oath as an MNA or MPA. I am sure this article in the constitution was inserted after much deliberations. Was Election Commission sleeping when they submitted their papers for nomination?
@Adeel Ahmed: He could not have done that because no civilised country wants to have much to do with pakistan these days. Even many pakistanis living in the west now claim they are from Africa or india rather then admitting they are from pakistan - this is a very sad FACT but true because the mullah has reduced Pakistan's standing in the world community to ZERO
I have dual citizenship (non for being unloyal to one country or other but my own commodity ) but believe me i would give up one without hesitation if my job was to serve a country, with my feelings towards my homeland Pakistan i can't accept a high level government figure share nationality with some other country, specially like USA...
What about the millions of Overseas Pakistani's who want to serve their homeland by joining politics. Imran Khan always says that our biggest asset is our overseas Pakistani's but this dual nationality law is very discriminatory towards us. I am a lawyer working in London and am Pakistani by descentand not by birth. I was born in London , grew up here and have friends and family here too. I also own some properties which I would use as rental income if and when I choose to go to Pakistan to do 'my bit' for the country. However, why should I take this step when if i want to join politics I have to give up my British Passport, something which is my birthright not an 'acquired' nationality. If I denounce my nationality I can no longer visit my brother, sister, cousins, watch over my investment unless I get a visa which if rejected means another 6 month wait. It just does not make sense to me at all and actually is a deterrent for me and many friends who could go and join politics in Pakistan and take huge legal investment with us, but are holding back.The law must distinguish between those who have been born abroad and those who have gone abroad to acquire nationality.
@Talal: What kind of a bigoted argument is that? He couldn't have done all that with only a Pakistani citizenship... Are you serious?
It is a waste of time on none important issue. The vital issue is whether the implementation of dual nationality was introduced before the election or not. Secondly what would be happened if the same practice should start in UK where over 300 councillors are Pakistani descendent? Thirdly if the new law of dual nationality is necessary to implement why not this should be passed through the National Assembly and this should be part of constitution. Fourthly when the respected members of senate and assemblies took oath this new law was not introduced. What is the reason and why they are being penalised. We have other important issues in Pakistan where poor people do not get justice. If Judiciary is interested to introduce to restrict people of Pakistan only Pakistani Nationality then this should be imposed to the next election.
There is a man who heads a political Party and he is a British National. He is more dangerious than an individual MNA/Senator or MPA, because he can alter the course of events through his elected members. To me that is a bigger danger. Who knows what goes between him and the foreign Intelligence agency of his newly adopted country. Will some Lawyer take up this case in Supreme Court and ban a Foreigner from interfering in our domestic politics.
@DevilHunterX: As an individual, I may be able to set up one or two hospitals. As a government seat holder, I can set up countless hospitals with my budget. I can set up a school as an individual, but as a government seat holder, I can change the education system for the better. As an individual, I can be the Chief Financial Officer of a multinational company, thus benefiting that company. As a government seat holder, I can be the Finance Minister of my country and benefit my country on a much larger scale.
So being in the government is definitely more beneficial.
@Talal: I agree with you 100%. If we look at the worst possible rulers in Pakistan who have hurt the country most have no foreign nationality they were all home grown. Gen Zia, Gen Yehya, Gen Niazi, Mush and the SC judges from Munir to Nasim Shah have an all Pakistani team. With their modes IQ and modest education the future of Pakistan does not look too bright. Especially after four years in their term the PCO SC is waking up now? Why they cannot wait and have it implemented via election commission? It was the job of election commission headed by judges to screen the papers and accept or reject the candidate not four years after the elections. It is like the PCO judges being tried four years after their oath under Gen Mush and not the constitution. Thanks and regards, Mirza
@ Talal,
I am fully agreed with CJ that a person having dual nationality should be barred from contesting and holding any important civil position in Government at central/provincial level However the same persons can be hired on adhoc basis in case their skills are needed for the betterment of the country.
@Talal: hafeez sheikh and intellectual??? did you hear the budget speech of this intellectual ..... lolz
@Talal: Want to do something for Pakistan? Setup industries, schools, colleges, hospitals and promote your country in positive manner.
No need to be in the government do any of those things.
very well said Sehr.Siddiqui
Legislators who are accused of having dual nationalities should come up and prove that they only have "Green Passports" and no other passport.
In a similar case, Abdul Rahman Malik was also told by the Supreme Court that he should prove that he is not holding dual citizenship, but he failed to submit documentary evidence, which has resulted in his suspension.
I have one question from the legislators who are holding dual citizenship.
How can you call yourself a patriot after obtaining a second passport?
A dual national can only defend one country at a time during the war, either Pakistan or the other country, therefore, a dual national cannot be a defender of Pakistan under any circumstances.
There is no denying that ministers, MNAs, MPAs and Senators with dual nationalities have divided loyalties with greater tilt toward the country where they took an oath of allegiance. You are more interested in your second wife than the first one who did so much for you. If you were so loyal to your first wife you would not marry another woman in her life.. Here is the question of motherland and you can not have second mother. You can change wife, not mother. Supreme court has taken the right decision and we must salute the judges for that. While 13 other members including Finance minister must also be disqualified without any delay as 61(1)(c) has already been invoked. My concern goes beyond and would like to question the appointment of State Bank Governor, Auditor General of Pakistan, chairman SECP, and a host of other positions which are sensitive in dispensing justice and framing policies without knowing ground realities. We need to act or allow the generals and judges also to hole second nationality to facilitate them to run away after damaging the country.
Have you seen Hafeez Sheikh's credentials? He could never have got all those with just a Pakistani nationality. He went abroad, got great education, worked at Harvard and World Bank, and now he's back in Pakistan to serve his country. Why would you kick out people like that?
Having intellectuals with dual nationality is better than having idiots (who are quite a huge number of the Pakistani seat holders) with only Pakistani nationality.