ISLAMABAD: On Monday, the government once again avoided answering in the National Assembly a question about the number of sitting parliamentarians possessing dual nationalities.

It was probably the fourth time that a question was asked on the subject, but the government remained silent like on previous occasions. In the last session --- the 28th sitting of the NA --- no reply was given to this particular question.

However, on Monday, the government said the requisite information could be obtained from law, justice and parliamentary affairs division. The question was asked by Humair Hayat Rokhri of PML-N.

When Dawn contacted the National Assembly Secretariat, an official said the house only managed a brief bio-data of MNAs, which they provided at the inception of a parliament. And providing the resume was not even mandatory.

“Yes, there are a few sitting members who posses dual nationalities, but they have not shared the information with the secretariat,” the official said. Whenever there was a foreign trip, the house needed passports of lawmakers for necessary visa process, but there were some who simply said they would manage their travel documents by themselves, the official said.

Unlike many countries of the world, in Pakistan people having double nationalities can become a member of parliament.Answering the second part of the question, in which the list of government officials having dual nationalities was sought, the house was informed that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) chairman Dr Mohammad Yaseen, a BS-22 officer, was an Australian national. Other top officials of the PTA having dual nationalities are: Mr Waseem Tauqir, Director General, (USA) and Mr Talat Mehmood Abbasi (UK).

Mr Iftikhar Hussain Arif, Chairman, National Language Authority, another Grade-22 officer responsible for promoting the national language, has the UK nationality.

In the Revenue Division two officers who have dual nationalities are: Deputy Collector Basit Hussain (UK), and Additional Commissioner Sajjad Taslim (UK). Three top officials of Auditor General Office hold Canadian nationality. They are: Deputy Auditor General Muhammad Akhtar Buland Rana, PIFRA Project Director Suhail Ahmad, Director Finance, Multan, Syed Iqbal Mehmood Rizvi. Mr Asghar Khan, a joint director in the audit house, is a UK national.

In the Ministry of Communication (National Highway Authority) Assistant Director Nadeem Qasim Khan holds a Canadian passport. In the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis (Overseas Pakistanis Foundation), Director Finance Muhammad Yar Bhutto is a US national. Deputy Census Commissioner (Population Census Organisation) Muhammad Ismail Leghari holds a Canadian passport.

Minister in-charge of the Establishment Division further told the house that similar information had also been sought from other government departments which included defence, commerce, culture, economic affairs, education, environment, finance, housing and works, industries & production, Kashmir affairs, planning commission, ports & shipping, railways, scientific & technological research division, frontier region, water & power, women development and both secretariats of parliament house.

As soon as the information was available, it would be put before the house, he said.