Senate question hour: No dual-nationality agreement with US, says interior minister

Rehman Malik tells Senate there is only mutual consent between the two countries over dual citizenship.

ISLAMABAD:

As the government deferred the dual-nationality bill in Senate on Tuesday, Interior Minister Rehman Malik revealed that Pakistan has no dual-citizenship agreement with the United States.

“We don’t have a written dual-citizenship agreement with the US and there is only a mutual consent between the two states,” Malik said.

The government did not move the 22nd Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2012, due to lack of quorum in the House on Tuesday.

Though the bill was not moved, Law Minister Farooq H Naek tabled a standing committee report on the draft of the bill for 22nd Amendment.

Currently, any person who holds dual nationality cannot contest elections for national or provincial assemblies. Under the proposed amendment bill, dual nationals of countries with which Pakistan has an agreement with are exempt from any such bar.

However, Senator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain pointed out that Pakistan has no such agreement with the US. The interior minister endorsed Chaudhry Shujaat’s statement, adding that Pakistan, indeed, has also no such written deal with two other countries, including Sweden. Senate Chairman Nayyar Hussain Bokhari directed the concerned department to explain the matter further, while Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Sughra Imam sought names of states with which Pakistan has dual citizenship agreements.



Dual nationals cannot join armed forces

Minister for Defence Syed Naveed Qamar informed the Upper House of Parliament that dual nationals cannot join the armed forces of Pakistan.

“Persons holding dual nationality are not eligible for appointment in the armed forces of Pakistan,” stated a written reply tabled by the defence minister before the Senate. Dual nationals are required to surrender other nationalities on their final selection in the military.

Meanwhile, in response to a written question posed by JUI-F Senator Talha Mehmood, Minister of State for Defence Sardar Saleem Haider Khan told the House that the Airport Development Agency, along with its employees, has been merged into the Civil Aviation Authority.

Furthermore, Interior Minister Malik said 478 NADRA registration centres and offices are currently operating in the country, and added that registration centres in Fata are being rehabilitated and will be made functional soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2012.