Supreme Court on Wednesday suspended membership of PML-Q MNA Shehnaz Sheikh for holding dual nationality. However, the apex court gave an opportunity to Ghulam Mujtaba Rai, an MNA of PPP, to inform the court why action should not be taken against him for holding dual nationality.
A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard a suo-motu case on a news item carried by an English-language daily on September 21 claiming that Shahnaz Sheikh has been an Australian citizen for 16 years. "Ms Shahnaz prima facie after the publication of the news item has not opted to give her explanation before the court, that's why we are of the opinion that she has no explanation hence notification of her electing as Member National Assembly is hereby suspended," the court ruled in its short order.
The bench directed the counsel for Ghulam Mujtaba Rai, an MNA, who is reportedly also holding Canadian citizenship, to file his reply within three days after he informed the court that he had not yet sought instructions from his client. The bench also directed Interior Minister Rehman Malik to supply a list of Parliamentarians having dual citizenship to the Registrar of the court in a sealed envelope within one week.
During the course of proceedings, Malik denied making a statement that he was aware of the dual nationality of any assembly member. He told the court that he did not have any list of parliamentarians with dual nationality and claimed he remembered a few names of parliamentarians having dual nationality, but they had already resigned. He, however, gave the name of MNA Tahir Ali Javed to the court.
In his reply that Malik submitted in the Supreme Court he also contended that whatever the print media had published with regard to his remarks on the dual nationality issue was not true and that he had already denied it. The Interior Minister however, was quite critical of Mahmood Akhtar Naqvi, the petitioner. "I am standing here due to Mahmood Akhtar Naqvi who has violated the constitution," Malik said, adding that he took refuge in the court when a police official came to court with his arrest warrant.
"This is not the issue here and you are here to assist us in lieu of your reported statement regarding a list of legislators in your possession with dual citizenship," the CJP told Malik. During the course of hearing, the Chief Justice read out the transcript of Malik's talk with electronic media. Malik, however, repeatedly denied possessing such a list. The court, however, asked him to submit a list of such names to the Registrar of the court in a sealed envelope.
"You are the Interior Minister and you should have some information in this regard," Justice Khilji Arif Hussain told Malik. "I am fighting with terrorists and dealing with other important matters. Therefore, I don't have information on those with dual citizenship," Malik later told the court that he would definitely assist the court if the name of any parliamentarian having dual nationality crossed his mind. The bench adjourned the hearing of case till October 17.
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