Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A petition has been moved before the Islamabad High Court (IHC), challenging the citizenship of two lawmakers – MNA Bismillah Khan and Senator Hidayatullah.

The petitioner claimed that both the parliamentarian were Afghan nationals, and prayed the court to disqualify them by suspending their Pakistani citizenship.

A citizen of Bajaur Agency, Nisarul Haq, had filed the petition in the IHC through his counsel.

The petitioner made the interior secretary, Foreign Office secretary, Chief Election Commission (ECP), SAFRON secretary, National Database Regulatory Authority (NADRA) chairman, Intelligence Bureau (IB) director general, Member of National Assembly Bismillah Khan and Senator Hidayatullah respondents in his plea.

The petitioner also attached supportive documents to prove the Afghan nationality of the members.

Nisarul Haq stated in his plea that the both lawmakers had deliberately hidden facts and lied about their real nationality.

He stated being Afghan nationals, both the lawmakers were not eligible for membership of the Lower and Upper Houses of parliament.

He said that by concealing their Afghan nationality, giving false undertaking before the returning officers and by taking false oath before the National Assembly speaker and Senate chairman, respectively, both the respondents were no longer sadiq and ameen.

He prayed the court to direct the government departments to verify the identity of Bismillah Khan and Hidayatullah from Afghanistan.

It may be mentioned here that MNA Bismillah Khan was elected as an independent candidate, while Senator Hidayatullah was elected from FATA. The court is likely to hear the case today (Thursday).

Talking to this scribe, MNA Bismillah Khan said that these were political tactics to defame his family. He said that he belongs to an old family of Nawab Safdar Jan Khan of the area.

He said the petitioner was himself an Afghan migrant who hails from Kunduz area of the neighbouring country.

He claimed that the administration had allocated a piece of land for residence of Nisarul Haq’s family and now they wanted the land back, which led the petitioner to move the IHC.