The Senate Standing on Foreign and Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan on Monday directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to avoid appointing dual nationals.
In a meeting held at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator Haji Muhammad Adeel, the committee also instructed that authorities concerned to ensure that Pakistani prisoners in India should be provided the required facilities.
The committee directed the Foreign Ministry to ensure release of Pakistani prisoners, especially those who had completed their sentences in India.
Senator Sughra Imam said the ministry was an important ministry regarding foreign relations and the presence of dual nationals in the ministry was not a good sign keeping in view the secrecy of important issues.
The committee chairman said it should be mandatory for officials of the Foreign Ministry be Pakistani nationals, adding that the country’s affairs should be run by its citizens.
The Foreign Ministry informed the committee that a total at 469 Pakistanis were languishing in the various jails of India.
He said of the total, 197 Pakistanis prisoners had not been provided consular access by India despite several requests, adding that according to an agreement singed between Pakistan and India in May 2008, consular access was to be provided within 90 days of the arrest the prisoners of either country. He said the agreement was not followed by India.
Senator Farhatullah Babar asked the ministry to inform the committee in next meeting about how many India prisoners were languishing in Pakistani jails and how many had completed their sentences.
To a question, the official said in the past year, 455 verbal notes had been issued to parliamentarians and their families, including former parliamentarians Sheikh Rashid, Dainal Aziz, Amir Hussain and Yasin Baloch.
The Senate Standing on Foreign and Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan on Monday directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to avoid appointing dual nationals.
In a meeting held at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator Haji Muhammad Adeel, the committee also instructed that authorities concerned to ensure that Pakistani prisoners in India should be provided the required facilities.
The committee directed the Foreign Ministry to ensure release of Pakistani prisoners, especially those who had completed their sentences in India.
Senator Sughra Imam said the ministry was an important ministry regarding foreign relations and the presence of dual nationals in the ministry was not a good sign keeping in view the secrecy of important issues.
The committee chairman said it should be mandatory for officials of the Foreign Ministry be Pakistani nationals, adding that the country’s affairs should be run by its citizens.
The Foreign Ministry informed the committee that a total at 469 Pakistanis were languishing in the various jails of India.
He said of the total, 197 Pakistanis prisoners had not been provided consular access by India despite several requests, adding that according to an agreement singed between Pakistan and India in May 2008, consular access was to be provided within 90 days of the arrest the prisoners of either country. He said the agreement was not followed by India.
Senator Farhatullah Babar asked the ministry to inform the committee in next meeting about how many India prisoners were languishing in Pakistani jails and how many had completed their sentences.
To a question, the official said in the past year, 455 verbal notes had been issued to parliamentarians and their families, including former parliamentarians Sheikh Rashid, Dainal Aziz, Amir Hussain and Yasin Baloch.
