Good News for the ABP…
Pakistan-based US citizens get dual nationality
By Sajid Zia
LAHORE—The government of Pakistan has decided to give dual nationality to the Pakistani-based American citizens.
The said information was provided to Mr Justice Tasaddaq Hussain Jilani of the Lahore High Court by Deputy Attorney General Khwaja Saeeduz Zafar while appearing on a petition filed by a Pakistani based US national Umer Ahmad Ghumman through advocate Mohsin Abbas.
Khwaja Saeeduz Zafar said that the decision of granting dual nationality to the Pakistani origin American citizens has been taken and a notification in this regard is in the pipeline that will be made public soon.
On the petition, which mainly seeks for the petitioner Pakistani citizenship to contest the coming general elections, the court observed that despite the statement made by DAG, the petition will be decided on merit as the same involved many law points for explanation and interpretation of the provisions of Pakistan Citizenship Act of 1951.
It may be recalled that earlier, the respondent government had replied to the petition that a person of Pakistan origin (male) loses his citizenship under the said Act once he accepts the citizenship of the USA. On that basis the petition was repelled and countered.
The court was also informed that Pakistan has pact of dual nationality with only 13 countries in the world and the US was excluded among them. However, the court was informed the government is competent to notify dual citizenship for Pakistani-based living as citizen of any other state in view of the national interests.
For the petitioner, Syed Mohsin Abbas advocate argued to interpret ‘citizen’ in the legal language and also application of Sections 3 to 10 and 14 of the Act to the persons who held dual nationality at the time of promulgation of the Act in 1951.
The counsel contended that the Act meted out a discrimination to the Pakistani-based people holding nationality of various other countries.
The Court will continue to hear the petition on Wednesday (today).
From the The Nation do not have the link found thru google
www.nation.com.pk/daily/today/main/top16.htm
Pakistan Origin Card
http://www.nadra.gov.pk/products/poc.php
