Senate panel mulls bar on civil servants’ dual nationality

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Friday considered a bill seeking bar on civil servants’ dual nationality.

Chaired by Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan, the committee discussed “The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2024” moved by Senator Dr Afnanullah Khan.

Mr Khan said that the civil servants take an oath of loyalty to Pakistan and, therefore, it is impossible for any individual/civil servant to be loyal to two countries.

Senator Saadia Abbasi argued that in countries like UK and US, citizens can possess dual nationality. Surprisingly, in the US, except for the office of president, a dual national can hold any public office, she added.

She said the government should devise a policy concerning dual nationality, streamlining the bars and requisites for the dual nationality.

Senator Abbasi and other members said that the bar of dual nationality should apply to all civil servants and there shouldn’t be any exceptions, and if any, it should be for everyone.

Secretary of cabinet division, Kamran Ali Afzal, said that the matter was discussed in secretaries committee and there are no opposition to the dual nationality.

He argued that it is intuitively difficult for any individual to be loyal to two countries. The committee decided to discuss the secretaries committee report in the next meeting for the resolution of the matter.

The committee ratified the nomination of Senator Shahadat Awan as a member of the board of governors of Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2025