The disqualification of Farahnaz on the basis of holding dual nationality is a welcome decision, since any person who has willingly pledged loyalty to another state, should never be allowed to hold any public office, whether elected or otherwise.
The bulk of massive flight of capital from Pakistan is due to such people having divided loyalties. Elements involved in money laundering are few corrupt civil and uniformed bureaucrats or members of the elected ruling elite who hold dual nationality or immigration status. It is such elements sitting in positions of authority and on the Board of Directors in State Bank, PIA, FIA, FBR, KPT and members of parliament who have kept loopholes to facilitate flight of billions of dollars out of this country, while a large majority of Pakistani expatriates repatriate their savings to families in Pakistan.
We live in a country, where a sitting most powerful governor of a province and his immediate family was taking social security dole-outs from the UK, while he was holding this post and occupying the governor’s mansion in Pakistan. The fact that this serious crime constituting a conspiracy against a social welfare state was not pursued only proves that such individuals serve the interests of these countries (because otherwise such criminals never escape severe punishment).
Farahnaz is not the only individual who holds a dual nationality status, nor can she be alone held responsible for withholding this information from the Election Commission. After all FIA, intelligence, airlines and security agencies in post 9-11 era share information with other nation’s immigration on movement of citizens.
Political parties who knowingly give tickets to dual nationality holders are also responsible. There are over 169 members of National Assembly, Senate, Provisional Assembly and ministers belonging to all political parties who hold dual nationality. Individuals like Dr Shakeel Afridi will continue to serve interests of other nations as long as Pakistan and its institutions allow dual nationality holders, or those with immigration status entitling them to acquire foreign nationality, occupy sensitive jobs and posts, run NGOs, where decisions are made that can affect the fate of this country.
GULL ZAMAN
Peshawar