Parliamentary panel backs ban, questions why officials enjoy privileges denied to elected officials
ISLAMABAD:
A proposal to end dual citizenship for members of the bureaucracy gained momentum on Monday after a parliamentary panel voted to abolish the practice, with lawmakers also calling for the restriction to be extended to judges.
During a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Cabinet Secretariat of the National Assembly, chaired by Ibrar Ahmed, members endorsed the proposal to prohibit public officials from having dual nationality.
Committee members argued that if MPs were constitutionally prohibited from holding dual citizenship, the same standard should apply to senior state officials.
Committee member Noor Alam Khan questioned why bureaucrats continued to enjoy a privilege denied to elected representatives. He said that even if his sister or daughter had dual citizenship, he would not be willing to sit with her.
Responding to the discussion, Minister of State Tahira Aurangzeb shared a personal example, stating that her daughter had been an Australian citizen but decided to renounce her citizenship in order to enter parliament.
Given this, the Cabinet Secretary clarified that if Parliament decided to legislate on the issue, the government was prepared to move forward with the required legislation.
The Establishment Division informed the committee that while dual citizenship was permitted in 21 countries, some people acquired citizenship of other states. The committee chairman said the final decision on the matter would be taken on February 16.
The meeting also addressed the issue of Pakistan’s participation in US President Donald Trump’s Gaza Peace Board. Agha Rafiullah, a member of the committee, asked who had presented the summary before the cabinet.
Cabinet Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal explained that the Cabinet had unanimously approved the summary presented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that the Prime Minister’s statement in this regard was completely accurate.
Separately, a proposal to provide a travel allowance of Rs 90,000 to federal secretaries was discussed.
Noor Alam Khan, speaking sarcastically, pointed out that the restrictions applied only to members of parliament, while civil servants continued to enjoy all facilities. He noted that under current policy, officers with official vehicles were not entitled to travel allowances, but in practice many received both benefits.
The committee chairman directed the cabinet secretary to ensure effective checks and balances to enforce the policy. However, the Secretary of the Cabinet Division opposed removing the requirement for officials to submit compliance certificates confirming compliance with the rules.
