His Excellency the President of Pakistan in a meeting at London with a British national of Pakistani origin has agreed to accelerate efforts to lift the embargo on holders of foreign nationality to contest elections and decide the fate of its 180 million people and future of a country, where they have no stakes and have publicly renounced their loyalty in the new oath they took when acquiring their new passport. The word renounce used in the oath means to reject publicly and finally all commitments of loyalty to their former state, of which they were originally nationals. This basically means return of East India Company in a new form headed by men of our colour, faith and language, but undivided in their loyalty to her Majesty’s government.
If this is not the beginning of undoing of Quaid’s Pakistan, and our sovereignty, than what else could be? If the law were to be amended, we could have a foreign national heading our armed forces, become their supreme commander, dominate our parliament, judiciary, media, financial economic policy making ministry, civil service and political parties just as was the situation prior to our independence in 1947. This foreign national will have control of our nuclear deterrence, our decision to defend our geographical boundaries and the fate and destiny of 180 million unfortunate people who have chosen to live and die here.
This is against the very foundations of state sovereignty and independence on which the 1973 Constitution is based. Will we allow our sovereignty to be compromised just so that it benefits few whose greed for power, wealth and perks is devoid of any morals and ethics? How can a person with split loyalties be expected to serve their country whole-heartedly? Those with stakes elsewhere have no reason to work for the betterment of this country. If they indeed want to serve their country, they could give up their second nationality in the spirit of public service.
MALIK TARIQ
Lahore