Dual nationality case: SC insists Malik provide names of lawmakers

Supreme Court suspends PML-Q’s MNA Shehnaz Sheikh.

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik was caught off guard by the Supreme Court on Wednesday when he hesitated to live up to his claims of revealing names of dual national lawmakers.

Although the apex court had earlier declared that Malik could not be considered sadiq (truthful) or ameen (trustworthy) for submitting a false statement about his nationality status, it asked him on Wednesday for a list of dual national legislators for necessary action.

The interior minister had said earlier that, if asked, he could expose many dual nationality holders sitting in the national and provincial legislatures.

However, after being called out, Malik – who is also facing contempt of court charges – hesitated to share details of dual national lawmakers, saying his statements were based on hearsay.

On the court’s insistence, however, the minister suggested he would only reveal the names in-camera.

The court turned down his request and asked him to provide the names in a sealed envelope to the Supreme Court Registrar.

Furthermore, the interior minister tried to express his concerns regarding the court’s judgment against him before the chief justice barred him from doing so.

The court had disqualified Malik, along with 11 other lawmakers, after finding his statement, in which he claimed to have given up his British citizenship in 2008, incorrect.

A defiant Malik, however, said the court suspended his membership and gave a coercive judgment against him on the application of a proclaimed offender Syed Akhtar Mahmood Naqvi, who took refuge in the Supreme Court building when Karachi police came to arrest him recently.  Justice Khilji Arif Hussain said the court had nothing to do with the matter, while Justice Jawwad said that as per the judicial system, it was yet to be ascertained whether the petitioner is a proclaimed offender or not.



Meanwhile, the Supreme Court suspended the membership of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) MNA Shehnaz Sheikh for not appearing before the court or submitting a reply as per the court’s directives issued earlier.

The court had issued notices to several legislators directing them to appear during Wednesday’s hearing.

Pakistan Peoples Party’s MNA Ghulam Mujtaba Rai was also summoned by the court to confirm whether he was a Canadian national or not; however, he failed to appear before the court.

The court will take up the contempt of court case against Malik on October 8 at its Quetta registry, while the dual nationality case will be taken up again on October 17.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2012.