Daily Times

Sir: There is no bar on dual nationality holders to exercise the right to vote, own property or do business in our constitution; they are only restricted from holding public office. Every immigrant who holds a US nationality takes the following oath: “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.”

For any former citizen of Pakistan, to qualify for a US passport, he renounces allegiance to Pakistan and pledges total undivided loyalty to his new country. Similar is the situation for other nationality holders such as Canada, UK, etc. For such individuals to hold public office is tantamount to allow Pakistan to be ruled by men or women who may compromise on our sovereignty if called upon to do so, in case there is a clash of national interests between two states. Any political party that supports an amendment to allow dual nationality holders to hold public office, such as members of parliament, is akin to making Pakistan a colony of another country. Political parties must rise above petty power politics and not destroy the basic fabric of our constitution, which revolves around our sovereignty, by amending it to allow dual nationality holders to seek elected office. Did we achieve independence from the physical occupation of the British Empire only to become an economic or political colony controlled by men/women who bear allegiance to another country?
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore