Badly hit by the law barring dual nationals from becoming a parliamentarian, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its major coalition partners have decided to bring in a new bill to scrap the law barring the dual nationals from holding membership of the National Assembly and Senate. Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Wednesday directed Law Minister Farooq H Naek to finalise the bill sooner than later, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The PPP has been badly hit by the apex court’s decisions on dual national MPs with membership of its senior leaders suspended, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, a close aide of President Asif Ali Zardari, and Farahnaz Ispahani, the spouse of another close friend of the president and former ambassador of Pakistan to the US, Husain Haqqani.
A well-placed source told this scribe that the premier, during his meeting with the law minister, asked to also consult with the leadership of the coalition parties, especially of the PML-Q, as Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had expressed his reservations about the proposed bill. “The PPP government is keen to get the membership of Rehman Malik and Farahnaz revived as Rehman Malik has failed to produce a certificate from the British government about cancellation of his British nationality while Farahnaz Ispahani has no intention to revoke his US nationality,” the source said, adding that thus the government had decided to get the present law revoked. The source said that the Mutahidda Qoumi Movement (MQM) was in full support of the government’s move as its two members of the parliament and another MPA had also been hit by the law, with their membership also likely to be suspended by the court anytime.
The MQM Rabita Committee has issued a statement in this regard to make their support to the government’s bill public. The statement says that the MQM welcomes the prime minister’s initiative which is a “good and virtuous” step. However, the source added, the PML-Q leadership is against the introduction of such a bill. In fact, one of their former ministers, Raza Hayat Heraj, had introduced a bill asking that “Pakistanis with dual nationalities should not be eligible for holding public offices because their oath of loyalty to their country is divided,” said the source. The source said that Ch Shujaat had also conveyed his reservations to the new prime minister at a recent meeting and had said that his party would take a decision after seeking views of legal experts over the bill. “Ch Shujaat is also reluctant to support any such legislation due to the local grouping in Gujrat as Jamil Malik, the only MNA of the PML-N from Gujrat, is also likely to be suspended due to having dual nationality. Chaudhry’s family is hopeful to win his constituency if by-elections are held there,” the source added.
When contacted, secretary information of PML-Q, Senator Kamil Ali Agha, said that the government had contacted his party chief about the bill to remove bar on dual national MPs. However, he said that he had no knowledge about any recent contact. He said that his party would come up with an official statement about the issue once the text of the proposed bill is presented. When contacted, senior vice president of Awami National Party (ANP), Haji Mohammed Adeel, confirmed that the prime minister had directed the law minister to prepare a bill seeking removal of bar on dual nationals to become members of the parliament. However, he added, neither the PPP had contacted his party for its support over the bill and nor his party had made its mind to take any decision. “Look, it’s a debatable matter.
The government should compile a complete policy about the dual nationals. If any dual national is made a member of the parliament, the dual nationals should also be allowed to become prime minister, president or fill the posts of chief of army staff, judges, etc. It would be unjust to lift the bar only for parliamentarians,” he maintained. He said the matter was of sensitive nature and it should be debated thoroughly. “No decision should be taken in haste over the issue,” he said and added that his party would be able to take a decision once the text of the proposed bill is shared by the law minister. Interestingly, the PML-N leadership is also mulling whether or not to support any government-backed legislation to do away with the bar on dual nationals as the law is likely to hurt its four members of parliament and provincial assemblies.
