ISLAMABAD: National Assembly’s Standing Committee on the Cabinet Secretariat has made significant progress on the issue of ending dual nationality for bureaucrats with members also backing the proposal to extend the restriction to judges.
The standing committee decided to pend its further discussion on a private members bill, the Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2024, moved by Noor Alam Khan MNA till its next meeting.
During the meeting of the standing committee chaired by its Chairman Malik Ibrar Ahmed, members also voted in favour to end the dual nationality of bureaucrats; however, committee chairman Ibrar Ahmed advised voting again at the meeting scheduled for February 16, to which committee members agreed.
The Establishment Division told the National Assembly Standing Committee on the Cabinet Secretariat that secretary’s committee endorsed the draft Civil Servants (Declaration & Prohibition of Foreign Nationality) Rules 2025 and it would be submitted to the Prime Minister for further directions.
At the meeting, the cabinet secretary clarified that if parliament decides on the matter, the government is ready to proceed with legislation. The standing committee asked the Establishment Division to share the draft Civil Servants (Declaration & Prohibition of Foreign Nationality) Rules 2025 with the committee. The committee was apprised that the issue was under discussion in the secretary’s committee on reference by the Prime Minister.
The Special Secretary of the Establishment Division briefed the committee that the Prime Minister has referred the matter of dual nationality of bureaucrats to a secretary-level committee.
In addition, a separate committee has recently been formed under the Establishment Division to formulate a policy on foreign nationality held by civil servants. The Establishment Division informed the committee that although dual nationality is permitted with 21 countries, some individuals still acquire citizenship of other countries as well.
During the meeting, the cabinet secretary proposed that judges should also be included in the scope of the ban on dual nationality. He clarified that he does not hold dual nationality himself but raised the question of whether individuals who acquire dual nationality by birth should be forced to renounce one citizenship.
Taking a strong stance, mover of the bill Noor Alam Khan said that parliamentarians are lawmakers, not merely signatories to official documents. He emphasised that while members of parliament may not hold state secrets, the bureaucracy is entrusted with sensitive and confidential national information.
Noor Alam Khan strongly criticised bureaucrats holding dual nationality, stating that such officers should feel ashamed and that holding dual citizenship while serving in key state positions is tantamount to disloyalty to the country.
He further alleged that sections of the bureaucracy protect one another and claimed that several officers have reached Grade 22 despite holding dual nationality. The committee was also informed that in 2018, the Supreme Court had recommended imposing restrictions on dual nationality for bureaucrats.
The standing committee decided that after further deliberations and receipt of the final report, the bill will be put to a vote. The committee also directed Cabinet Division to circulate instructions to all the Ministries/Divisions to ensure strict compliance of the transport monetization policy.
The committee was of the view that monetisation policy of the government aimed to reduce the burden of vehicle maintenance and PoL on government exchequer, however the benefit could not be achieved in real.
The committee expressing its reservation on the observance of the policy said that the use of official vehicles for private use was pervasive which needed to be strictly checked. The committee while discussing the private members bill titled the Federal Employees Benevolent Fund and Group Insurance (Amendment) Bill, 2024 moved by MNA Syed Rafiullah expressed its displeasure on the pace of the Actuarial study which was supposed to be completed within ninety days.
The committee directed Benevolent and Group Insurance Funds Management to pursue acquiring data from all the government departments who were beneficiary of the Benevolent and group insurance funds and provide the same to the Actuarial Study of both the Funds.
The committee also decided to strictly monitor the progress on the bill through taking it up in its future meetings. The committee was of the view that government employees should be given financial benefit on their retirement instead of death.
The Benevolent Fund Management informed that presently 40 percent of the data had been shared with the Actuarial firm. The committee decided to have a comprehensive briefing on the administration of Islamabad Club in its next meeting.
