By During a recent meeting of Pakistan’s National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior, it was revealed that over 22,000 bureaucrats hold dual citizenship. Committee member Abdul Qadir Patel expressed surprise that, while members of the National Assembly and judges are prohibited from holding dual citizenship due to their access to sensitive information, no such restrictions apply to bureaucrats who manage critical state secrets.
Patel emphasized the need for implementing dual citizenship laws for bureaucrats to enhance transparency and accountability. He proposed that the Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2024, should include provisions to ensure that individuals with dual nationality are not appointed as bureaucrats.
The committee also discussed the proposed legislation that would grant Pakistani passports to citizens of countries with which Pakistan has dual nationality agreements. Concerns were raised about the relaxation of dual nationality rules, with some members opposing the idea of granting citizenship or passports to individuals merely to appoint them to specific positions.
This revelation has sparked a debate on national security and the need for stringent measures to restrict dual nationality, especially for bureaucrats, judges, and parliamentarians. Lawmakers are calling for detailed statistics on Pakistani citizens holding dual nationality and are urging the inclusion of provisions in the amendment bill to address these concerns.
