ISLAMABAD – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MNA Abdul Qadir Patel claimed that 22,000 bureaucrats currently hold dual citizenship.
He expressed these views during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior which was chaired by Khurram Nawaz.
The committee discussed proposed legislation on granting Pakistani passports to citizens of countries that have dual citizenship agreements with Pakistan.
Committee member Abdul Qadir Patel stated that 99% of federal secretaries hold dual citizenship. He remarked that it is often said that politicians should not hold dual citizenship because they might leak state secrets, but bureaucrats have access to all files and secrets, and they are allowed dual citizenship. He questioned, “What secrets do politicians have? Everyone knows everything about them.”
The Standing Committee of the National Assembly also approved a bill for the establishment of child courts to handle child abuse cases.
PPP member Agha Rafiullah requested details about Pakistanis with dual citizenship and asked how many people have renounced it. He pointed out that last year, an individual was given relief and a prominent position after holding dual citizenship.
PPP member Nabeel Gabol opposed legislation to grant passports to those who renounce Pakistani citizenship.
Gabol stated that legislation should not be passed just to benefit one individual from a particular party. He suggested calling officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss this matter in detail during the next meeting, asserting that renouncing Pakistani citizenship abroad is an insult to the country.
PML-N member Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry supported the bill, stating that renouncing citizenship abroad is not an insult to the country. He pointed out that those who abuse Pakistan abroad have had their passports canceled.
PTI member Zartaj Gul demanded further briefing on the dual citizenship legislation, asking the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify what the proposed law entails.
The Standing Committee on Interior has decided to summon officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Establishment Division in the next meeting.
