As the Election Commission of Pakistan’s deadline expired on Friday, 16 lawmakers failed yet again to submit affidavits regarding their dual nationality.
Nine members of the National Assembly were among the 16 lawmakers.
Sources said that among those who failed to file fresh oaths, affirming that they did not hold foreign nationality, seven legislators were from Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), two from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party each, one from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and one of the lawmakers was an independent candidate.
Among the nine MNAs who failed to submit their affidavits were Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi, Syed Tayyab Hussain, Dr Nadeem Ehsan and Fauzia Ejaz Khan of the MQM. Syed Allauddin and Chaudhry Tasdadduq Masud Khan of the PPP did not submit their declarations. Also, PML-N members Sabeen Rizvi and Araish Kumar and Maulana Muhammad Qasim of the JUI-F did not file their affidavits.
Five members of the Sindh Assembly who failed to file their declarations include provincial Finance Minister Murad Ali Shah, son of former Sindh Chief Minister Syed Abdullah Shah and Minister for Technical Education and Mines and Minerals Sadiq Ali Memon, Abdul Moid Siddiqui, Askari Taqvi and Muhammad Raza Haroon.
Meanwhile, Malik Salahuddin Dogar is the only senator who did not file the declaration. Javaid Iqbal Tarkai, a member of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, is also on the list.
Both Mir Lashkari Raisani, the brother of Balochistan Chief Minister Nawaz Aslam Raisani, and independent candidate Haji Khan Afridi submitted their affidavits at the last minute.
Now that the deadline is over, the ECP will begin deciding the fate of these lawmakers next week.
A senior official of the ECP while talking to The Express Tribune said that the issue would be brought before the Election Commission in a meeting next week and the next course of action will be decided then.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 1st, 2012.
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It's about time to get rid of these double face dual nationals from law making assemblies. All the compensation given to them in form of salary, lodging boarding, travel or any other benefits should be rcovered from them with interest and penalties.It is a clear case of fraud may be jail term should be imposed and must be discredited from taking part in politics of Pakistan for life. .
As correctly said by the CEC - a half-Pakistani is not acceptable to the nation.