ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended the National Assembly membership of Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz's Jamil Awan for holding dual nationality, DawnNews reported.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain was hearing the case pertaining to lawmakers holding dual nationality.

During the hearing, Chief Justice Iftikhar remarked that the Senate membership of former minister Rehman Malik had been suspended for holding dual nationality and that the court could not be discriminate in the administration of justice.

The court also referred to the suspension of NA and PA memberships of Farahnaz Ispahani and Amna Buttar and said Awan had already admitted to holding the nationality of the Netherlands.

During an earlier hearing, Awan had submitted a statement before the court claiming that there was a difference between nationality and citizenship.

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

Rehman Malik's counsel argues 

Presenting his arguments before the court, Malik's counsel Anwar Mansoor Khan said that suspending his client's parliament membership was not within the Supreme Court's purview.

Responding to which, the chief justice remarked that the matter was legal and that Malik needed to produce the certificate proving his renouncement of British citizenship.

Mansoor said the court was not the appropriate forum to produce such evidence, adding that the matter should either be sent to Speaker National Assembly or to the Senate's chairman.

The case's hearing was subsequently adjourned to July 4.