MNA Noor Alam Khan says bureaucrats should also be barred from holding dual nationality

ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) MNA Noor Alam Khan on Monday called for barring bureaucrats from holding dual nationality.

Presently, Article 63 (1)(c) of the Constitution states: “A person shall be disqualified from being elected or chosen as, and from being, a member of the Majlis-i-Shoora (Parliament), if he ceases to be a citizen of Pakistan, or acquires the citizenship of a foreign state.”

On the other hand, bureaucrats can be dual nationals. But, amendments have been proposed to the Civil Servants Act for a restriction on bureaucrats’ dual nationality.

The matter came under discussion on Monday during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, where the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2024 — which was moved by Khan — was taken up.

The bill, seen by Dawn, says: “This private bill seeks amendment in Section 5 of the Civil Servants Act, 1973 with a view to lay down an enabling provision so that a civil servant holding dual nationality or citizenship of any foreign country shall not be entitled for appointment.”

Along similar lines, Khan said during the standing committee’s meeting that bureaucrats should be barred from holding dual nationality. “And if this does not happen, parliamentarians should also be allowed to have dual citizenship,” he said.

Without making any specific mentions, PPP MNA Agha Rafiullah recalled that parliamentarians had been promptly unseated following a Supreme Court decision in a dual nationality case in the past.

Cabinet Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal recommended that the cases of bureaucrats who possessed dual citizenship by birth should be reviewed, and if not, then judges should also be covered in the bill.

Khan, however, expressed his reservation on the suggestion to review these cases instead of ending the dual citizenship of the individuals concerned.

He said that “there is no dual national in the armed forces”.

“If dual nationality is to be allowed, then parliamentarians and military personnel should also be given this right,” he added.

For his part, Committee Chairman Ibrar Ahmed said the number of bureaucrats having dual citizenship by birth should be shared.

Bureaucracy and judiciary, too, should not have individuals having dual nationality, he said.

PML-N MNA Tahira Aurangzeb said her daughter, Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, had to let go of her Australian citizenship to contest elections.

Eventually, six of the seven committee members voted in favour of the bill and against bureaucrats’ dual citizenship.

However, Committee Chairman Ahmed advised voting on it again at a meeting scheduled for February 16.

He said a report on the matter would be sent to the prime minister and that the voting on the matter could be held again, taking stock of the premier’s view on the matter.

The meeting ended with the committee members agreeing to the chairman’s recommendation.