Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat Meeting, Voting on the Bill Against Dual Nationality for Civil Servants Postponed Until Next Meeting, Report Requested
Prime Minister cannot hold dual nationality, but Principal Secretary can, says Senator Affanullah Khan
Dual nationality law should apply to all institutions. The concerned minister should come and explain the government’s policy, says Senator Sadia Abbasi
ISLAMABAD ( WEB NEWS )
The Senate Standing Committee on the Cabinet Secretariat postponed the voting on the bill against dual nationality for civil servants until the next meeting, requesting a report from the government on the matter. Senator Affanullah Khan stated that the Prime Minister cannot hold dual nationality, but the Principal Secretary can.
The meeting of the Standing Committee on the Cabinet Division was held on Friday under the chairmanship of Rana Mehmood-ul-Hassan in the Parliament House. The meeting was attended by committee members, including the Secretary of the Cabinet Division and other officers. Senator Affanullah Khan, the sponsor of the bill regarding dual nationality, stated that the bill had been passed in the National Assembly but has not yet been approved by the Senate. He mentioned that it seems the bureaucracy does not want the dual nationality law to be approved for them. He further pointed out that clear directives from the Supreme Court are also available on this issue.
At this point, the Secretary of the Cabinet Division mentioned that discussions have taken place in the Secretaries’ Committee, and different views have been presented. He explained that dual nationality exists in different forms, such as when someone is born abroad or acquires foreign nationality during their studies or employment abroad. He also mentioned that the opinion had emerged that the law should be uniform for everyone. Senator Affanullah Khan argued that this law should apply in the future and not to those already in service.
Additional Secretary Sara Saeed mentioned that she herself holds dual nationality as she was born abroad. She further stated that Pakistan’s law on dual nationality is quite lenient, as Pakistani citizens can hold dual nationality with 22 other countries. She added that under Pakistan’s law, even foreigners who do not have Pakistani citizenship can still apply for government jobs with federal government approval.
Senator Sadia Abbasi remarked that individuals with dual nationality can be equally loyal. She pointed out that positions for engineers in the Federal Public Service Commission have been vacant for the past four years due to a lack of suitable engineers in the country. She argued that imposing restrictions on those with dual nationality would be wrong. She suggested that the bill be sent to the Prime Minister’s House for recommendations.
The Secretary of the Cabinet Division emphasized that the country should be led by competent individuals and that those born abroad should be allowed to return and take up government jobs. He cited the example of American citizenship, which explicitly states that in case of need, one may even be required to take up arms for the country. He raised the question of whether a dual national would be able to fight against their own country in a war between Pakistan and the US.
Senator Sadia Abbasi reiterated that the dual nationality law should apply to all institutions, and that the concerned minister should come and clarify the government’s policy. She expressed frustration over the repeated discussions and urged the government to make its stance clear on the matter.
Senator Affanullah Khan questioned whether dual nationals should be allowed to hold important positions. He noted that while the Prime Minister cannot hold dual nationality, the Principal Secretary can. He pointed out that the National Assembly has already voted on this matter. Officials confirmed that being a Pakistani citizen is mandatory for civil service.
Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti suggested that the law should first apply to civil servants and then to other institutions. Senator Saifullah Niazi added that the bill should apply to all institutions.
At this point, the Chairman of the Committee decided to postpone the voting on the bill until the next meeting and directed that recommendations from the Secretaries’ Committee and the Cabinet be presented.