Despite all its efforts, the government on Thursday could not gather the required 68 votes in the Senate to pass the 22nd and 23rd amendments, lifting the bar on members of parliament against holding dual nationality.
When Senate Chairman Nayyer Bukhari asked Law Minister Farooq Naik to move the bill to amend the 22nd amendment, the law minister requested him to defer it.
Sources in the government told NNI that they had a dozen members less than the required two-thirds majority. In spite the efforts of the law minister and the leader of the House, the required quorum could not be arranged. Therefore, the chairman had to prorogue the session.
The copy of the 22nd amendment bill available with the NNI said, “Pakistan is one such country which permits the holding of a dual citizenship/nationality in terms of the Pakistan Citizens Act 1951 (Act II of 1951). Many countries of the world permit the holding of dual nationalities/citizenships. A direct result of this is that in those countries people holding dual nationalities/citizenships can exercise the right to vote and can also run for parliamentary elections. Our country’s economy has always been considerably supported by the overseas Pakistanis; whole allegiance to Pakistan should not be in doubt. It has been a long-standing demand of the overseas Pakistanis that there should be no impediment in their way to run for elections for the parliament.
They are deeply concerned with events in Pakistan and are keen to play an effective role and want to contribute to national cause. Therefore, through an amendment in Article 63 (1) (c), the constitutional bar on dual-nationality holders to become members of parliament is being lifted.”
In the draft of the bill it was also demanded that the bill become effectual from the first day of November 2007 “notwithstanding any other provision of the constitution or any proceedings, order or judgement of any court or authority, including, but not limited to the Election Commission, shall apply to all transactions past and closed, except by-elections, held after the twentieth day of September and before the thirty first day, 2012”.
Earlier, during the Question Hour, the law minister, in a written reply, informed the Senate that cases of 643 people had been finalised at the inquiry stage and Rs 1189.201 millions had been recovered from the federal and provincial government officials from 2008 to 2011.
State Minister for Communication Dost Muhammad Mazari said the National Highway Authority (NHA) network had frequently been used by overloaded vehicles of NATO, ISAF and American transit freight over the past couple of years and roads worth billion of dollars were being damaged.
Minister for Communication Dr Arbab Alamghir informed the House that 26 percent of 4,040 roads were being affected.
Government's failure to get the bills passed from National Assembly and Senate shows that it has lost the support of members and subsequently it has lost the right to rule the country. It should accept its failure with open mind and should quit immediately. It should hand over the powers to the interim government and should announce the date of general elections forthwith. It has no right to rule the country anymore..The opposition has also failed to pressurise the government for holding elections immediately as it has lost the majority in the assembly and the senate.
Learn to spell and draft laws before tabling them.
Few dual nationsls who seek public office have done more harm to Pakistan and its economy than all its external enemies put together. All of Pakistan's corrupt generals, admirals like Mansoor ul Haq, Mush, and corrupt bureaucrats like Capt (retd) Naseer, Shahid Rafi etc and corrupt politicians like Shaukat Aziz, Altaf Hussain etc hold dual nationality or immigration status.
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