ISLAMABAD:

The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Friday called for all civil servants not to have dual citizenship when it deliberated on the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2024, moved by Dr. Afnanullah Khan.

The committee met here with its chairman, Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan, as chairman. During the discussion, Dr. Afnanullah Khan that officials take oath of loyalty to the state of Pakistan; therefore it would be impossible for any official to be loyal to two countries.

Senator Saadia Abbasi and other members maintained that the ban on holding dual citizenship should apply to all civil servants and there should be no exceptions. If there was an exception, it should be for everyone, they added.

Senator Saadia Abbasi took part in the debate and argued that in countries such as Great Britain and the United States, citizens could have dual nationality. Surprisingly, she added, a dual citizen could hold any public office in the United States, except the presidency. She called on the government to devise a policy in the area.

The committee members suggested obtaining an opinion from the Prime Minister’s Office on the bill. However, Senator Afnanullah Khan suggested that since the bill had already been passed by the National Assembly, there was no need to send it to the government.

Cabinet Division Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal informed the committee that the matter was discussed in the ‘Committee of Secretaries’ and there was no aversion to the issue of dual nationality. However, he emphasized that it was difficult for any person to be loyal to two countries.