Minority MPA Rana Asif Mahmood has been summoned on June 29 by the high court. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial has directed Mahmood to record his reply, in person, in a petition challenging Mahmood’s election as a parliamentarian while holding dual nationality.
When the proceedings started Advocate Jamshed Rehmatullah, Mamhmood’s counsel, requested for a week’s time to file a reply on behalf of his client. However, the chief justice denied his request, noting that since the Supreme Court had already suspended the membership of several parliamentarians for holding dual nationalities, no more time could be given. He then gave Rehmatullah two hours to file a reply.
The respondent’s counsel, however, did not have a reply prepared after the break. He asked for more time. At this point, the petitioner Advocate Saiful Mulook said the respondent was trying to delay the matter. He said it was clear that the MPA held another nationality, said Mulook, because he has been issued a National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis. The counsel also submitted a copy of the said card in court. Mulook said that Mahmood was a Canadian national and requested that the MPA be disqualified.
The petitioner, Advocate Saiful Mulook, also objected to Mahmood’s election on a minority seat while in the National Database and Registration Authority records, his religion was listed as Islam. However, Justice Bandial observed that religion is a sensitive matter and advised both parties not to discuss it. Instead, he said, the counsel should focus on the allegations of dual nationality raised in the petition.
Faisal Ilyas, a lawyer, had, in April, sought Mahmood’s disqualification for “posing” as a Christian to get elected on a minority seat. Mahmood maintained that he was a Christian and had been incorrectly identified as a Muslim by NADRA because of his surname. He had said that the authority was refusing to alter its records. NADRA later rectified the mistake.
Mahmood had earlier told The Express Tribune that he is a citizen of Pakistan. He said he had Canadian immigration but insisted it was not a citizenship. He described allegations of him being a Canadian citizen as “baseless”.
Published In The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2012.
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