THIS refers to the heated debate regarding dual citizenship. The justification being given for it is beyond my comprehension. The question is: how can one hunt with the wolf and run with the hare?

I will quote, for readers’ convenience of understanding, the relevant portions of our constitution and of the oath of citizenship taken by all acquiring US citizenship I do not wish to enter into any debate. I would like readers to read without bias to reach a conclusion. In my opinion, we need to amend our constitution, as we have no power to amend the US constitutional oath.

I have not done any work on the citizenship requirement of the UK or Euro zone.

Under Article 5 (1) ‘loyalty to the state is the basic duty of every citizen’, while 5 (2) says obedience to the constitution and law is the [inviolable] obligation of every citizen wherever he may be and of every other person for the time being within Pakistan.

The naturalisation oath of allegiance to the United States of America says:

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law;  that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”

My candid opinion is, if you cannot legally sail in two boats simultaneously, and have to abandon your Pakistani citizenship on the oath, you cannot remain its lawmaker, not to speak of being a public servant.

Unless our illegal lawmakers are removed, legal ones elected, and they allow Pakistanis to be subservient to overseas Pakistanis, who are ‘bearing their loyalty to Pakistan at the discretion of foreign countries.’

DR ALI AKHTAR Karachi