Senate session: ‘Lift the lid on judges who hold dual nationality’

Senators urge amendment to Constitution to resolve dual citizenship issue.

ISLAMABAD:

Senators demanded on Friday legislation to prevent dual nationals from becoming judges – and called for the names of those judges who hold dual citizenship to be made public.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Farhatullah Babar took the lead in the upper house of parliament, asking, “If lawmakers can’t hold dual nationality then why there is no bar on judges of top courts with dual nationality?” The senator called attention to the issue after Law Minister Farooq H Naek informed the lawmakers that there was no bar on judges from holding dual citizenship.

“What is the rationale behind allowing dual nationals to become judges of superior courts? Why is there an exception in the case of judges?” demanded Senator Babar, who is also the presidential spokesperson.

The senator also sought an explanation from the law minister, saying that his reply in the Senate had raised serious questions that needed to be answered. He urged the government to clarify a million dollar question: “Is someone in the judiciary a dual national?”

Senator Babar also quoted Article 63 (1)(c) of the Constitution, which disqualifies a person from being a member of Parliament if he or she acquired the citizenship of any other country. At the same time, perhaps in a rather contradictory statement, the senator said he had no suspicions over judges’ dual nationality, saying, “They are all honourable men, do no wrong and are above suspicion”.

Senator Babar added: “I do believe that a judge who holds dual citizenship could not send an elected prime minister of Pakistan home – even we accept the top court’s verdict despite the fact that the content of the letter was against parliamentary norms,” he observed.

At this point, Senator Saeed Ghani observed that an amendment in the Constitution to resolve the dual nationality issue has become inevitable after the court issued such judgments. “When judges will give such judgments (disqualifying the prime minister) then there should be probe to find out if any judge is a dual national?” he demanded.

CNG prices

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Petroleum Dr Asim Hussain faced a sceptical Senate Chairman Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, after he failed to convince lawmakers that issues over fixing CNG prices were related to devising a consumer friendly formula. “If you can’t handle the situation then please inform the prime minister to resolve this matter of urgent public importance,” observed Bukhari.

Earlier, Hussain informed the house that the government has been unable to resolve the issue due to high demand for CNG amongst motorists. The point, the Senate chairman decided to have a meeting with leader of the house and leader of the opposition to constitute the committee to resolve the issue.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2012.