Committee seeks details about retired officers holding foreign nationality

The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs has sought details from the Foreign Ministry in respect of its officers who have adopted foreign nationality soon after retirement, and those officers whose wives and children had adopted dual nationality during their appointments abroad.
The committee met on Thursday under the chairman Senator Haji Adeel. The Foreign Office told the committee that wives of 16 of its officers were foreign nationals and the wives of 10 officers were dual nationality holders. No officer however was a dual national.
Foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jillani told the committee that Pakistan held dual nationality agreements with 16 countries. Any officer of the Foreign Office had to obtain prior permission in connection with his marriage, and in the case of marriage with foreign national, permission had to be obtained from the prime minister through the establishment division.
Regarding the Pak-US NATO supply agreement, the Foreign Secretary told the committee the time frame of this agreement would expire on December, 31, 2012. The transit route was provided with regard to permanent goods for 11 years. An agreement had also been reached with US on NATO-ISAF Transit Trafficking.
He also said that US would construct and carry out repair work of the Peshawar-Torkham road at the cost of $70 million.
On the issue of granting a most favourite nation status to India in terms of trade, Commerce Secretary Munir Qureshi told the committee that a negative list will stand abolished in December.
A permanent joint working group has been established to settle details of trade via Khokhrapar-Munabao. Bilateral trade volume with India has reached a mark of $1.84 billion.
The commerce secretary told the committee that talks were underway with India to import electricity and petroleum products. Three agreements had been signed with India to repeal non tariff papers, he added. India had allowed Pakistani entrepreneurs to make investments there. Pakistani investors could invest in all sectors excluding defence, space sciences and nuclear technology in India under its relevant rules.