ECP's recommendation: dual nationality holders be barred from taking part in elections

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday proposed that dual nationality holders be declared ineligible to take part in general elections. It recommended proper legislation to bar such individuals from taking part in future elections.
The recently constituted Election Commission, in a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner former Justice Hamid Ali Mirza in the chair, passed a resolution against individuals with dual nationality stating that they could not take part in elections to become members of parliament. However, the meeting said if the government wants it can make legislation in this regard.
The decision of the top electoral body is a clear message to those, maneuvering to be in power corridors at the charm of their 'dual nationality', said a top ECP official on condition of anonymity. The ECP proposal to bar dual nationality holders to take part in elections, he added, would close the door on 'imported' individuals like Moeen Qureshi and Shaukat Aziz, who had no knowledge of the prevailing socio-economic conditions of the country. "They came, they ruled and left the scene on the basis of dual nationality," he remarked.
Earlier, Raza Hayat Hiraj, a PML-Q lawmaker had introduced a private constitutional amendment bill in National Assembly, seeking disqualification of parliamentarians and bureaucrats holding dual nationalities, having assets or bank accounts outside Pakistan.
It called for insertion of another article (63B) in the constitution, to be applicable to members of parliament, provincial assemblies and civil and military bureaucracy. Article 62 and 63 elaborate conditions under which a lawmaker can be removed. Though the government did not block the introduction of the bill and let it go to the house committee for further consideration, its future remains uncertain because many of the country's top politicians have businesses abroad.
Meanwhile, the ECP also decided that cases of parliamentarians, holding fake degrees should be decided at the earliest. It also dismissed reference filed by Molvi Iqbal Haider, seeking disqualification of two ANP senators - Haji Adeel and Zahid Khan.
A resolution was passed in the meeting which stated that a reference against a member can only be sent by the chairman Senate or the speaker National Assembly. The sources said that the ECP also discussed registration of six new political parties and directed its secretary to submit a report to the commission after thorough study of the registration contents.