ISLAMABAD: A bill has been submitted in Pakistan’s National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, against the dual citizenship of government officials and judges.
The bill was tabled by Noor Alam Khan, a lawmaker of the opposition party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), at the NA Secretariat on Wednesday.
The proposed amendment, titled the “Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2024,” seeks changes in the Civil Servants Act, 1973. It states that individuals holding dual nationality or foreign citizenship should not be eligible for civil service appointments. The rationale behind this amendment, according to MNA Noor, is to ensure that government servants have a vested interest in the country they serve, aligning with constitutional principles.
In addition to this bill, MNA Noor has also proposed a Constitutional (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which aims to impose a complete ban on the appointment of dual nationals as judges in the higher judiciary.
The draft bill clearly states that a dual-national individual shall not be appointed as a Supreme Court (SC) or a High Court (HC) judge. This bill suggests modifications to various articles of the Constitution, emphasizing the importance of loyalty among judges in line with constitutional provisions.
The proposed amendments seek to prevent the appointment of dual nationals to key government positions, emphasizing the need for officials and judges to prioritize the interests of their country of origin.
It also emphasizes the importance of preventing those who hold dual nationality of foreign states from potentially undermining the interests of their country of origin.
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