Senate question hour: Dual nationality strikes a debate – once more

Lawmakers discuss legality of agreement between Pakistan and US.

ISLAMABAD:

The dual nationality controversy erupted in the Senate on Thursday when lawmakers from across the political spectrum questioned the legality of an agreement on the subject between Pakistan and the United States.

“Is Pakistan going to review its decision under which it had reached up to an agreement with the US regarding dual citizenship?” asked Senator Syeda Sughra Imam during the question and answer session.

“The agreement must be reviewed in light of the oath of US citizenship,” she said, adding that it was against the spirit of the Constitution of Pakistan.

“[Former President] Musharraf betrayed the country by reaching a dual citizenship agreement with the US in 2002,” Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Mian Raza Rabbani added.

Does the Constitution allow the government for such agreements, Rabbani inquired, asking the interior minister why he had been evading this question.

Senators across party lines demanded the government to make public the agreement under which both countries grant citizenship.

Senators Haji Adil of the Awami National Party (ANP) and Pervez Rashid of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), along with fellow lawmakers, pointed out that for those who take up US citizenship: “I have to declare under oath that they renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign state of which they have been a subject or citizen and will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law.”

Rabbani, accusing the minister of ‘hiding something’, recalled that Pakistan had reached an agreement with the US in August, 2002.

In response , Senate chairman Nayyar Hussain Bokhari directed State Interior Minister Imtiaz Safdar Warraich to come up with a detailed reply regarding the dual nationality agreements on the next Rota day.

The house was informed that Pakistan has dual nationality arrangements with 16 countries, including the US and the UK. In response to queries, the state interior minister said that these agreements had been made by previous governments.

Pakistan Railways

The Senate was also informed that the Pakistan Railways has earned around Rs6 billion by leasing over 10,000 acres of land during the last ten years.

Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour told the House that all the railways land is leased out through open public auction and sealed bidding.

Air Blue tragedy

Minister of State for Defence Sardar Saleem Haider Khan told the House that the total compensation to the bereaved families of the Airblue air crash victims is Rs6 million.

He said payments have so far been made to 113 families, while remaining cases are in process.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2012.