Ban on dual nationals challenged

LAHORE: A writ petition has been moved in the Lahore High Court (LHC) challenging a ban on dual nationals from holding government jobs.

Pakistani-British Dr Adeel Anwar states in his petition that Pakistani citizens holding dual nationality had the right to vote, invest, marry and start businesses in Pakistan and the decision to bar them from holding government posts was an act of “discrimination”.

“As per the constitution, discriminatory behaviour cannot be adopted for any individual of the state. Hence, the decision of refusing government jobs to dual nationals should be declared null and void,” the petition maintains

In December 2018, the Supreme Court (SC) had declared that individuals holding dual nationality could not retain top government posts, pointing out that they would either have to choose the government job or their foreign citizenship.

Expat’s property reclaimed: The Overseas Pakistanis Commission (OPC), Punjab, has reclaimed 13 Kanal and 18 Marla land belonging to an expatriate Pakistani woman from the illegal occupation of her brother.

OPC Vice-Chairperson Waseem Akhtar said the woman, Zainab Naseem, settled in United Arab Emirates, had filed a complaint that her brother had occupied her property located in Tehsil Nowsehra Virkan, Gujranwala district, for the last 8 years.

POLICE certificates: Lahore police are providing welfare-oriented services to the citizens along with curbing the crime in society.

On the directions of DIG Operations Lahore M Waqas Nazir, the citizens are being providing with the facilities of character and verification certificates. The Character Certificate Branch of Lahore police issued 37,210 certificates to the citizens in 2018. It also issued 321 online verification certificates to the citizens during the last one and a half months.

Security: The security of the mosques and other religious places, including Imambargahs, was tightened in the metropolis on Friday.

gangs busted: Model Town Division police claimed to have arrested 216 criminals in a crackdown.

Police also seized 451 litre liquor, more than 14kg charas, 17 pistols, 1 rifles, 2 Kalashnikovs, 1 gun and bullets. The police busted six gangs of criminals by arresting their 14 members and recovered Rs 0.8 million from them. As many as 116 persons were arrested for doing wheelie, flying kites, firing into the air, violating Price Control Act, Loudspeaker Act and on other charges.