HYDERABAD, July 12: Liaquat Baloch, Secretary General of Jamaat-i-Islami, has urged the apex court to spell out a criteria over dual citizenship so that the government, opposition parties and overseas Pakistanis could evolve a consensus.

About the floating of Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim’s name for appointment as chief election commissioner, the Jamaat leader cautioned the jurist that a “bumpy ride” lay ahead for him. He called for financial and administrative autonomy for the Election Commission on the lines of that enjoyed by the apex court.

Liaquat Baloch was addressing a news conference at a luncheon hosted in honour of the newly elected governing body of Hyderabad Press Club on Thursday.

He said the dual nationality bill was aimed at protecting “a certain coterie in government” and to deface the Constitution.

Instead of protecting politicians, the overseas Pakistanis should be taken on board, Liaquat Baloch added.

“Therefore all parties should evolve a consensus and the apex court should lay down criteria to evolve consensus among opposition parties, the government and overseas Pakistanis so that all ambiguities can be cleared,” he said. But those who have renounced Pakistani citizenship have no right to become member of parliament in Pakistan, the JI leader added.

“The present Election Commission suits President Asif Zardari and its secretary was shown the door when he adopted a principled stand. Let’s see whether the establishment brings in a secretary of its own choice,” he said.

He feared that issuance of error-free voter lists would be an uphill task as one-third of electoral rolls were deficient and engineered. “Election Commission will have to cleanse electoral rolls of all defects, he said.

The new CEC has also to address delimitation of constituencies because there were areas in Karachi, Hyderabad and the rest of Sindh where feudal lords occupy polling stations, rig polls and get polling staff of their choice appointed, Liaquat Baloch alleged.

He criticised formation of a commission for creation of a “South Punjab” province. “President Zardari has been raising non-issues. He is least concerned about issues of trade, electricity and cost of production, which is affecting industrial and agricultural growth.”

He criticised the contempt bill, saying that it was in conflict with the Constitution and aimed at giving blanket immunity to the rulers.