Report reveals 213 govt officers hold dual nationality

Baqir Sajjad Syed Published March 8, 2018

ISLAMABAD: A total of 213 government officers serving in various ministries, divisions, provincial departments and autonomous bodies hold dual nationality, with some of them assigned to key positions, a report compiled by the Establishment Division reveals.

More than half of these officers (127) are working in attached departments and autonomous organisations, while another large group of 42 officers is posted with the provincial governments.

The Azad Kashmir government has 20 such officers, disclosed the report prepared for the Supreme Court that has taken up a suo motu case related to dual national officers in pay scales 17-22.

Another 24 officers belong to the occupational groups. The highest number of officers with dual nationality is from the Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS/DMG), which has eight such officers. It is considered to be the elite services group. It is followed by the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) with five officers. The Inland Revenue Service has four, the Pakistan Customs Service has three and the Pakistan Audit and Accounts Service and the Commerce and Trade Groups have two officers each with dual nationality.

Establishment Division document prepared for SC shows some of them are assigned to key positions

The eight PAS officers are: Human Rights Division Secretary Rabiya Javeri Agha (UK), Additional Secretary of Interior Sher Afghan Khan (US), Ali Sarfraz Khan (UK), PAS Campus Director Sarah Saeed (UK), Dr Muhammad Ajmal (Canada), Rashid Mansoor (Canada), Azhar Rauf (UK) and Aslam Rao (UK).

The police officers with dual nationality are: Narcotics Control Division Secretary retired Sq Ldr Iqbal Mahmood (Canada), Punjab Additional IG Syed Ejaz Hussain Shah (Canada), Special Branch DIG Zaeem Iqbal Sheikh (UK), Gwadar SSP Barkat Hussain Khosa (Canada) and Balochistan AIG Sohail Ahmed Shaikh (UK).

Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Canada), posted in Pakistan Embassy, Tehran, and Nyle Nazir Gondal (US) are from the Audit and Accounts Service; Shaheer Ashraf (US) and Sahar Nadeem Hamid (US) belong to the Commerce and Trade Group; Shazia Memon (UK), Sajjad Taslim Azam (UK), Syeda Naureen Zahra (Canada) and Naeem Babar (Australia) are from the Inland Revenue Service; and Muhammad Ibrahim (US), currently posted as Consul General in Montreal, Basit Hussain (UK) and Sumaira Nazir (New Zealand) represent the Customs Service.

Details of 30 officers of PAS, PSP, Office Management Group and Secretariat Group were not received, despite the Supreme Court’s warning that concealment of information could have serious legal consequences. Some of these officers are out of the country on ex-Pakistan leave.

The apex court had on Jan 17 sought details of the officers with dual nationality serving in federal and provincial governments. Establishment Division Secretary Maroof Afzal was appointed coordinator for the collection of information.

There is no specific law barring dual nationals from serving in government departments, but the court believes that maintaining allegiance to a foreign country could constitute conflict of interest. The apex court rulings suggest that it could call for legislation in this respect.

The court had in its judgement of Sept 20, 2012 disqualified 11 legislators for keeping nationalities of other countries.

Lately, it has transpired that one judge each of the Lahore and Sindh high courts also possessed dual nationality by birth. Another five such judges are working in the lower judiciary.

The controversy over dual nationality is predicated on the assumption that people with dual nationality do not have the same level of commitment to the country as those having only Pakistani nationality because of the former’s limited stakes in the future of the country that has suffered decades of maladministration, corruption and abuse of power.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2018

Pakistan

Baqir Sajjad Syed is the Foreign Affairs and National Security Correspondent for Dawn. His career of over 25 years spans print and broadcast journalism. He is a former UN Reham al-Farah Fellow and held a Pakistan Fellowship at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington, DC. He tweets @baqirsajjad

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Mar 08, 2018 07:49am

What about who have stacks of looted- corrupt money they have more commitment than expatriate

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Aamir

Mar 08, 2018 08:03am

My three cousins who are living in Canada, UK, Egypt and USA are dual nationals and work in top government positions. Pakistan and its courts need to focus on priority issues of common man. We should not distribute certificates of loyalty and religion, as both of these are by heart and not by document!

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Maria enteparia onnuchoriu

Mar 08, 2018 08:04am

It is unique to Pakistan. they are very smart people, if one doesn't work out they flee to the other.

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Muneer

Mar 08, 2018 08:05am

Dual nationals should not be in government service.

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Waqas

Mar 08, 2018 08:12am

That is an incredibly low number

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Hamid shafiq

Mar 08, 2018 08:21am

Dual National person cannot trustable Court should order that these people should leave their other nationality till they are not do any govt decision

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Qaisrani

Mar 08, 2018 08:31am

There are a lot more than 213.

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Waseem

Mar 08, 2018 08:37am

ECP should conduct background checjs and make.ot part of the ECP rules that elected ministers and certain high profile office bearers should give up their dual citizenship prior to holdong office and thos will test thier loyalty to the country amd the system. At the moment we cant blame these 213 officers because no check and balance has beem set f orth by our constitition barring them to carry dual.citizenship

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Naxalite

Mar 08, 2018 08:42am

Let them choose one nationality!

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Prateik

Mar 08, 2018 08:55am

This is a tip of iceberg.

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SHAHID SATTAR

Mar 08, 2018 08:57am

Is that really all? What about those who have kept their own and their spouses dual or more nationalities hidden? Any way to catch them or is the exercise over for good?

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Sameen Y Bawla

Mar 08, 2018 09:01am

Makes Perfect Sense!! Well done Supreme Court

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Vasan

Mar 08, 2018 09:17am

So, they don't the trust that feeds them ? After amassing some wealth they have plan to run away ? This is a scandal. Please check also politicians having other nationalities. Pakistan should come up with single nationality, So that corruption will be less.

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khaled

Mar 08, 2018 09:28am

What would it take to revoke their dual nationality? The information need to be executed to its logical end.

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Ahmed

Mar 08, 2018 09:30am

An officer with dual nationality can.not be promoted beyond BS-19.

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mykhan

Mar 08, 2018 09:34am

they shouldnt be allowed to keep dual nationalities if they want to work for Pakistan

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Faryad Ali

Mar 08, 2018 09:34am

Good initiative if taken seriously and effectively

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Mirza

Mar 08, 2018 09:48am

They all should be immediately expelled from their jobs and asked to pay back their salary and all benefits received.

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Tranquality

Mar 08, 2018 10:22am

Punjab Additional IG Syed Ejaz Hussain Shah is a Canadian national serving in pakistan !!

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khanm

Mar 08, 2018 10:25am

wow, what a way to go.. have a secure future for their kids living and studying abroad, living in luxury at the expense of this poor nation...they intend not to give but to take...Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more. it is all about value and how you were raised.. on the other hand, there are millions of expatriates living abroad sending the money to help Pakistan's economy and pay millions in charity, school, and collages...wonder what out politician has given us... sweet nothing...

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Waqas

Mar 08, 2018 10:32am

Honorable judge before giving any ruling should note that overseas Pakistanis are more Pakistani than a big number living within the country. It should be a balanced judgement.

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Honest Opinion

Mar 08, 2018 10:41am

I hold citizenship of Canada and USA but I consider my myself Pakistani first, and deeply care about the future of Pakistan. I am not less Pakistani than Pakistani citizens who are not dual citizens.

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SHAHID SATTAR

Mar 08, 2018 10:43am

As reported in the press some time back, the fugitive police officer tried to board an out of the country flight on an unofficial passport. Many (or should one say most) officials carry not only dual or triple nationalities in various government services but more than one passports so as to get away from the country if caught under any circumstances. There is a need to put a check on that practice permanently to stop the game being played all around our country. Who will do it and when remains to be seen.

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hani

Mar 08, 2018 11:27am

Haven't they assumed themselves untouchable ??

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saj

Mar 08, 2018 11:40am

why don't they check employe on government payroll like universities, hospitals, and other department like, livestock, agriculture etc. There are many how resides in other countries, come only occasionally, make their superior happy, get extension in their leave and go back.. They are depriving other pakistanis of their jobs.

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zebswati

Mar 08, 2018 12:01pm

Right decision leave the job or leave the other nationality dont be in two boats at one time, you will be confused . Have already chosen another nationality so to have a secure and bright future for yourself and your children ! which you think was not possible with a Pakistani Green Passport, so go a head and enjoy . there are over 200 million people in Pakistan more talented , deserving and patriotic then us /me in Pakistan

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Tahir

Mar 08, 2018 12:28pm

How did they obtained dual nantionalty of course with corruption

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Hussain

Mar 08, 2018 12:41pm

if there is system for independent verification, real numbers may be high.

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ARIF

Mar 08, 2018 12:48pm

Ban dual nationals to work in bureaucracy, judiciary,

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Laeeq Ahmed

Mar 08, 2018 12:50pm

The question is not How many they are? The question is why they get it? Because of the situation of the country.

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Mar 08, 2018 12:56pm

All of these dual nationals being identified are all of Pakistan origin, so what is the big deal? The dual nationals can hold government job and elected positions in their adopted countries so why not in their motherland of Pakistan?

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Tamza

Mar 08, 2018 01:15pm

Is Nawaz Sharif and family also dual nationality? And Zardari? And Musharaf? These folks are out of country so often and for quite a long period.

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Ali

Mar 08, 2018 01:39pm

Is it really Pakistan? Kick them out or force them to surrender dual nationality.

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ABE

Mar 08, 2018 02:31pm

They should be stripped of their posts and forced to renounce second nationality if they want to keep their jobs. Dual National can never serve National Interest of his motherland, with complete loyalty and sincerety.

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Omer

Mar 08, 2018 02:45pm

These are only those who have somewhere declared dual nationality. There are thousands others who possess dual nationality but have not declared anywhere in Pakistan

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Naeem

Mar 08, 2018 03:12pm

Please concentrate on corruption first. This matter is secondary. Also study the pros and cons before suggesting the solution.

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Skyhawk

Mar 08, 2018 03:49pm

And they always blamed only Dr. Qadri for dual nationality. Here we have a whole gang of dual National government officers in various ministries and departments.

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King Khan

Mar 08, 2018 04:12pm

How on earth could someone assume that a dual national is less patriotic than others. in fact, it is the other way round; conducting any survey or checking past record history will surely bear this out.

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Only Pakistan CNIC Holder

Mar 08, 2018 04:25pm

All Politicians and govt. officials (at all ranks) , judges and Lawyers having dual nationalities should be suspended from office immediately. (only to be re-instated after they leave all other nationalities except Pakistani). and a law should be made that no politician or govt official can ever have "dual nationality" or "work visa" of any country other than Pakistan until 10 years after retirement. Then and only then can we see some improvement.

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Mar 08, 2018 05:09pm

Poor Governance, Poor System! These dual national government employees should be fired out immediately, so no any other government servant even thinks of it. They are traitors actually. They d0 not deserve government job or any other designation.

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Dr. Qaisar Mahmood (TI)

Mar 09, 2018 01:11am

Pakistanis are very hard working and intelligent people all over the world. They have contributed significantly in the development of nations where they got nationality. Unfortunately global media is presenting distorted image of Pakistan because they are afraid of this nation which can do wonders. The corrupt people are less than 1percent who have brought bad name to our country. Why we need to find people witb dual nationality because some people are more loyal to other nations rather than Pakistan. We dont want such people. They should behave like son of soil if they want to work in Pakistan.

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Niaz Hussain Ghumro

Mar 09, 2018 10:24am

Who would bar them? The question is that we totally rely on foreigners who serve only their interests involving in corruption and abusing powers in the country or outside of it. I think their working should be stopped so that integrity of the country may be restored.

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amazed.

Mar 09, 2018 08:16pm

@Dr. Qaisar Mahmood (TI) . Do not agree with your deduction,

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Mar 09, 2018 09:15pm

Welcome to the club.

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Yaqut khan

Mar 11, 2018 09:46pm

Dual nationality holders have moved abroad with their families and they have no intentions to serve Pakistan.a country like Pakistan shouldn't allow dual citizenship.mostly rich families have left Pakistan.

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