Senate body opposes dual nationality of public office-holders

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice has supported a proposed piece of legislation that has envisaged that all public office-holders from elected representatives to civil servants and judges to have only Pakistani citizenship.
The Committee’s Chairman Senator Muhammad Kazim Khan tabled report in the Senate on Tuesday. Senators Syed Sughra Imam and Mian Raza Rabbani had introduced the bill in the House on January 1, 2014.
The panel had considered the bill: The Constitutional (Amendment) Bill, 2013), (Amendment of Articles 177, 193 and 240) during its series of meetings held on February 13, June 26, 2014 and January 20 and February 19 this year. The bill seeks to make amendment for providing a bar on judges of superior courts and all persons in the service of Pakistan from holding dual nationality or citizenship of a foreign country. The proposed amendment also provides a two-month period for renouncing dual nationality or citizenship as the case may be.
A report of the concerned standing committee of the House on the bill moved by Senator Haji Muhammad Adeel on February 10, 2014 was also presented in the Senate. The proposed piece of legislation calls for declaring Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushto, Balochi and Seraiki as national languages. The bill seeks to amend Article 251 of the Constitution.
The statement of objects and reasons says that Punjabi, Pushto, Sindhi, Balochi and Seraiki are spoken by a majority of the population of Pakistan. After the 18th amendment, it is necessary to give the status of national language to all languages of the federating units.