Rejecting a private bill to disqualify members of parliament having dual nationalities, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice said on Tuesday that the constitution did not allow any dual nationals to contest election and there was no need for any new law when one already existed.
Raising objection to the bill moved by PML-N MNA Tasneem Siddiqui, Law Minister Maula Bux Chandio told the standing committee that met with Begum Nasim Akhtar Chaudhry in the chair that Article 63 and Peoples’ Presentation Act did not allow any dual nationals to contest election and he or she could be disqualified if elected.
He said the bill should be rejected as there was already a law existing to that effect.
“No new law is needed when the constitution clearly bars dual nationals to contest election,” the law minister said.
Tasneem Siddiqui said, “There are many dual nationals who are members of the present parliament and why is the law not being implemented if it exists?”
The law minister and Chaudhry Abdul Ghaffoor argued that either the Election Commission of Pakistan could take notice of the violation of law or the people of the constituency of respective dual national members should approach a court in this regard.
The committee unanimously rejected the bill later.
The committee also discussed a bill seeking amendments in Section 182 of the Pakistan Penal Code regarding punishment for registration of false FIRs.
The bill had been moved by Begum Nuzhat Sadiq of the PML-N.
The bill sought amendments in Section 182 of the penal code to increase the punishment for anyone found guilty of getting a false FIR registered.
Shakeela Khanum and Ijaz Virk proposed that imprisonment for getting a false FIR registered should be increased from six months to five years and a fine between Rs 100, 000 and Rs 200,000 should be imposed.
The committee chairperson constituted a sub-committee heady by Chaudhry Abdul Ghaffoor on the issue and ordered a report and recommendations within a month.
The committee did not consider a bill moved by Marvi Memon on the grounds that the mover had resigned from the National Assembly.
Wondering why there is so much fuss over dual nationality issue. There are about 89 countries in the world that does not bar holding dual nationality so there is no harm in double-nationality. It is unfortunate that legislatures are always subjected to accountability in one or the other case and other pillars of state always try to tight noose around the elected members. There are several top military officials and judges that enjoy dual nationality but no finger is pointed towards them. They are free to do whatever they want. But, lamentably everyone holds responsible just politicians not ” Deep State” and ” Honest” judges who are more politicians than those who are in politics in guise of their respective positions. Second, ECP must ponder on facilitating local voters who are living far off from poling stations. For this purpose, ECP must launch mobile poling stations instead of facilitating those left the country in lurch. Moreover,” Indigenous Voters” are inexpensive as compared to expatriates for whom ECP shall have to bear heavy expenditures.
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