Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain, who has strongly backed the stance that dual national citizens be allowed to vote and contest elections in Pakistan, has expressed concern over the move to bar people with dual citizenship from working in government institutions.
Hussain said that the implementation of such a ban was a conspiracy to weaken those who loved Pakistan.
In a statement issued by the MQM, Hussain said that he wanted to tell political and religious leaders who had made negative and derogatory remarks on the issue of dual nationality that “what you sow, so shall you reap.”
He said that these statements have hurt overseas Pakistanis.
The MQM chief said that he had learnt that recommendations were being made to bar dual national citizens from holding executive positions in government institutions.
He said it was “incomprehensible” why the bar was being put into place, on the heels of the Supreme Court verdict that saw several elected representatives disqualified because they were dual nationals.
Hussain said he was unable to understand why expatriate Pakistanis who loved their country were being disengaged with.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 18th, 2012.
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Those who support dual nationals contesting for elections in Pakistan and holding membership of assemblies/senate are trying to confuse the masses by using wrong and untenable arguments. Some use the ploy of substituting the term 'overseas Pakistanis' for dual nationals. The two terms are totally different. A dual national holds nationality of another country besides Pakistan. Overseas Pakistanis are those who have only Pakistani nationality but work or reside abroad for some reason, such as employment or business. Once a person takes up another nationality besides that of Pakistan, he automatically comes to have divided loyalties. He takes an oath of allegiance to his new adopted country. A conflict of interest can develop at any stage in the life of such a person. If a dual national is elected to parliament, he can also become a Minster, or even prime minister or the head of Pakistani state. if he gets involved in crime or corruption, as some of our politicians often do, he has an escape route open to him, dodge Pakistan’s law. The dual nationals have acquired other nationalities mainly in search of a better life; they are economic migrants. Their first loyalty is to acquisition to wealth, not to their country of origin. In the few cases that are political migrants, as in the above case, they should, if they want to participate in Pakistani politics, return to pakistan and live like other Pakistani citizens and then take part in politics to 'serve the nation,' as they avowedly claim to. Pakistan can welcome dual nationals to legislative bodies only if and when they show their willingness to renounce, once and for all, their 'other nationality' and declare that they would not seek foreign nationality again. They should be willing to face the music here. This would be more fair and square to the 160 million who live and work in this country and face all the hardships, economic as well as those pertaining to security.
Great Stance By Quaid E Tehreek Altaf Hussain Bhai Who Always Up Right And Straight For The Rights Of People Of Pakistan
There is a very simply reason for not allowing dual nationals for the MNAs and MPA seats and that is the experience which i had incurred in my region. Our MNA is a dual national from PMLN and he came from UK and in one year he spent almost 6 months abroad and he is repeating this practice for the last 4 years and recently Our region was flooded with water due to excessive rain and when we contacted our MNA we were told that he is on Summer vacations in Birmingham. MNA and MPAs should always be there for their people and ready to listen and act promptly whenever need arises and since dual nationals have to visit their adopted countries very frequently so there is no way they can do justice with the People of their constituency. The duty to serve the people is the Professional Task and like any other task the most able and always available person should take this job so that Our Assemblies will not become a symbol of show of power for our elite and their loved ones but rather it will turn into a platform to serve the masses around the clock.
He is just worried about himself.
"Hussain said that the implementation of such a ban was a conspiracy to weaken those who loved Pakistan."
Loved Pakistan ... from a distance, he means to say.
By 'lover' of Pakistan, is Altaf Bhai referring to himself? When did that happen?
Malala 14-years old had courage to stay in Pakistan even resisting against Taliban. Why Altaf Bhai you are away from the country? Come and resist in Pakistan rather giving statements outside Pakistan.
Talk is cheap specially when you are sitting all the way in U.K on a self impose exile. Why don't you move back to Pakistan ...... Get a job, start paying your share of taxes and may be you have little bit more credibility and little bit of respect from the hard working Pakistani folks.