ISLAMABAD: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director General Bashir Memon on Monday told a three-judge Supreme Court (SC) bench that 210 civil servants concealed their dual nationality status.
The bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar was also told that 291 officers concealed that their spouses are dual nationals.
DG FIA also informed the bench that seven foreign nationals are working for the civil service, while one of them had concealed that he is a foreign national.
The bench has issued notice to all those bureaucrats who concealed their or their spouses’ dual nationality. The court has also sought legal assistance from the Attorney General of Pakistan regarding the holding of dual nationality by civil servants.
Earlier this month, dissatisfied with the list of only 213 officials submitted, the apex court had formed a committee consisting of representatives from the Establishment Division, the National Database and Registration Authority as well as the Federal Investigation Authority for submitting details of all officers of Grades 17-22.
The apex court had on January 17 taken a suo motu notice of the officers with dual nationalities serving in federal and provincial governments.
Currently there is no provision in the Civil Servants Act 1973 over possessing dual nationality, but there have been efforts in 2011, 2012 and 2013 by lawmakers in parliament to amend the act for the said purpose.
All such bills have only come from parliamentarians from opposition parties. In one such amendment bill in 2013, former senator Sughra Imam had sought to bar civil servants of Grade 20 and above from promotions.
