The Awami National Party (ANP) is demanding a dual citizenship agreement with Afghanistan, which is one of the reasons behind its stiff opposition to the proposed 22nd constitutional amendment to allow dual nationality holder Pakistanis to become lawmakers.
The draft bill moved by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis proposed amendment to Article 63 (1) (c) to enable overseas Pakistanis having dual nationality to contest election for the membership of parliament. But under the proposed constitutional amendment, only those overseas Pakistanis can become members of parliament who enjoy citizenship of countries with which Pakistan has signed dual national agreements, and Afghanistan is not on the list. Although holding dual citizenship was not permitted under the 1951 law, the government of Pakistan now recognizes and allows its citizens to hold the citizenships of 16 countries, including the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Belgium, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, United States, Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, Egypt, Jordan and Syria.
If any overseas Pakistani secures citizenship of any other country apart from the 16 mentioned, they will have to surrender their Pakistani citizenship, hence they will be unable to take benefit from the proposed constitutional amendment bill. A source in the government told Pakistan Today that the ANP was pressing the ruling PPP to make arrangements for Pakistan’s dual national citizenship agreement with Afghanistan so that those overseas Pakistanis could also become member of parliament or hold public office who had secured Afghan citizenship by surrendering their Pakistani citizenship. When contacted, Senator Haji Adeel of the ANP said there was no reality behind the news and ANP’s stand was based on principles. He said the party believed that no overseas Pakistani having dual nationality should hold top public offices in the country.
It is a matter of principle to have a dual citizenship agreement with our neighbor Afghanistan. The demand of ANP is not unjustified. However, it could be linked with the recognition of Durand Line as the demarcation line between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Without such a recognition this dual citizenship with Afghanistan will have serious implications.
ANP is persuing Indian gaenda , Gulam Ahmed Baloor openly taking on media to be part of india as a confedration,(He is funded by Indian agencies) MQM is for Altaf Husan coz he has british Nationality these three parties palying with Pakistan security
This PPP &ANP & MQM Govt must be removed ASAP
What about Afghanistan, if one Pashtun of Peshawar get nationality here, so is he also surrender his Pakistani ID to government????
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