Supreme Court Hearing On Dual Nationality Holders In Government
Supreme Court Hearing On Dual Nationality Holders In Government: The Supreme Court has issued notices to 147 civil servants of Grade-17 and above for hiding their dual nationality and 7 others who are foreign nationals. Earlier in January, Chief Justice took suo moto notice of officials with dual nationalities in the federal and provincial governments.
By a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar 291 other civil servants were also given notice whose wives possess dual nationality but they did not share the information.
32,000 government servants out of a total of over 172,000 did not submit correct information for official record, it was revealed during the hearing. Attorney general will assist the court on the matters pertaining to the case and granted two-week time to the DG FIA to gather and submit details of dual national officials.
616 civil servants had submitted declaration that they had dual nationality and the spouses of another 691 were dual nationals.
The establishment secretary in response to Chief Justice inquiry of whether a foreign national could be appointed as government official, said that if government grant permission it is possible. The court has submitted dissatisfaction over the report of establishment division earlier this month which mentioned 213 government officers as dual nationals. A committee comprising representatives of the Establishment Division, NADRA and FIA was formed to seek the details of dual national government servants serving in Grades 17 to Grade 22.
The federal government bureaucracy has 500 wives with dual nationality. Of them, 376 declared dual nationalities while 124 concealed. Foreigner wives of bureaucrats are 61 of whom 54 were declared and 9 were hidden.
According to the report, no official from the National Accountability Bureau, Cabinet Division, Federal Public Service Commission and the Board of Investment has dual or foreign national wife.