Top court orders ECP not to notify senators-elect with dual nationality

Top court orders ECP not to notify senators-elect with dual nationality

Islamabad (Staff Report/Agencies): The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to halt the notification of senators who were elected with dual nationalities.

While hearing a case pertaining to dual citizenship of judges and civil servants, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar said that Senators holding dual nationalities were elected in the recent elections of the Upper House, however, he said he was unaware of their names.

The attorney general informed the court that four senators, namely, Sadia Abassi, Haroon Akhtar, Nuzhat Sadiq and Chaudhry Sarwar, hold dual nationality.

Sarwar belongs to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) while the other three are from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

The court ordered the ECP to halt the notification and issued notices to the four senators to clarify their positions.

The secretary establishment informed the apex court that 22 ministries are part of the 43 divisions.

According to a report submitted to the Supreme Court, the number of civil servants holding dual nationalities is 64 in Punjab, five in Sindh, nine in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), eight in Balochistan, 28 in Azad Kashmir, and one in Gilgit Baltistan.