ISLAMABAD, June 25: The Supreme Court suspended on Monday the National Assembly membership of a PPP politician for allegedly holding dual nationality.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain had in its last hearing directed MNA Zahid Iqbal to submit his passports to the SC registrar office.

The chief justice observed that despite the court’s directive, Zahid Iqbal failed to submit his passport and, therefore, his NA membership was being suspended. He said it appeared that he had no respect for the court order.

Mr Iqbal’s counsel informed the court that his client was in the United Kingdom and he had met him there three days ago.

He said his client had told him that he would contest any document produced against him in the court.

The court again issued notices to members of provincial assemblies (Punjab and Sindh) Mohammed Farhat, Dr Mohammed Ashraf Chohan, Chaudhry Nadim Khadim, Chaudhry Wasim Qadir and Nadia Gabol.

Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja remarked that the Constitution did not allow a person with dual nationality to be in assemblies.

MPA Tariq Alwana informed the court that he had never travelled to any country, except Saudi Arabia. When a copy of an American passport allegedly belonging to him was shown to him, he said the picture on the passport showed it was not his.

But, he said, one of his brothers was a US citizen.

Petitioner Advocate Waheed Anjum requested the court to summon Mr Alwana’s record from Nadra and travel history from the immigration department.

Earlier, MNA Jamil Awan submitted a statement. He claimed that there was a difference between nationality and citizenship.

“I am a national of the Netherlands, but not a citizen,” he said.

The court permitted Anwar Mansoor Khan, counsel for Rehman Malik, to submit copies of his client’s passport and other relevant documents before the next date of hearing and adjourned the proceedings to July 2.