KARACHI: Nearly 195 officials of different civic bodies of Karachi have surrendered their dual nationality to Sindh Local Government Department (LGD), officials of Sindh government revealed on Friday. In 2017, the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) had directed heads of all civic departments to ensure that officials under them surrendered their dual nationalities. In response to the SCP order, Local Government Department (LGD) had directed all dual nationality holders working in civic departments to submit their nationality surrender documents along with their affidavits to LGD through their department heads by July 10, 2018. According to the available data, a total of 123 officials from Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) including 70 doctors from KMC hospitals, 5 officials from Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), 14 officials from Karachi Development Authority (KDA), 7 officials from Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), 4 officials from Lyari Development Authority (LDA), 4 officials from Malir Development Authority (MDA), 5 officials from District Council Karachi and 33 officials belonging to six district municipal corporations are on the surrender list. Senior Director of KMC’s Human Resource Management (HRM) department, Tasleem Ahmad confirmed that officials holding dual nationality in the department were surrendering it. He revealed that the papers of officials holding dual nationality had already been submitted to LGD. According to Federal Investigating Agency (FIA), 700 officials of KMC, 550 officials of KWSB, 180 officials of KDA, 110 officials of SBCA, 4 officials of LDA, 18 official of MDA, 20 officials of District Council and 330 officials of six DMCs are enjoying dual nationality status. Previously, on SC directions, around 140 MNAs and MPAs of four provinces also surrendered their dual nationalities. According to a report submitted by FIA to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), 49 candidates having dual nationalities are contesting for seats in national assembly in the upcoming elections. Meanwhile 11 dual nationality holders are contesting the elections from Sindh, 53 from Punjab, 8 from KPK and one from Balochistan. According to the FIA report, 57 candidates contesting in the upcoming elections hold UK’s citizenship, 26 hold USA’s citizenship, 23 hold Canada’s citizenship while 3 candidates hold Ireland’s citizenship. 2 of the dual nationality holders have Belgium’s citizenship while at least one candidate holds the citizenship of Singapore, Australia, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Spain and Uzbekistan each. FIA report also revealed that a total of 213 government officers serving in various ministries, divisions, provincial departments and autonomous bodies are dual nationality holders. It is pertinent to mention here that the federal government does not permit Pakistanis to hold the dual nationality of Austria, Azerbaijan, Denmark, Fiji, India, Iran, Poland, New Guinea, Japan, Norway, Zambia, Germany, Bahrain, China,Kuwait, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Chile, Korea, Czech Republic, Lithuania,Netherlands, Singapore, Thailand,Mexico, Nepal and United Arab Emirates. Published in Daily Times, July 7th 2018.