RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior on Tuesday passed, “The Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2022”, which will allow the Pakistani diaspora to resume their Pakistani citizenship.

The committee meeting which was presided over by MNA Ahmad Hussain Deharr passed the bill.

According to the statement of object and reason, a large number of Pakistani diaspora are complaining that they had to renounce their Pakistani citizenship as a condition for acquiring citizenship of a foreign country of residence or stay. Whenever such countries are entering into dual nationality arrangements with the government of Pakistan, there is no provision within the Pakistan Citizenship Act, 1951 which allows the resumption of Pakistan citizenship.

Therefore, amendments have been proposed in section l4-A of the said Act which will allow the Pakistani diaspora to resume their Pakistani citizenship, it says.

The parliamentary body discussed the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Bill, 2022, and the Naturalization (Amendment) Bill, 2022 in detail and deferred it for further discussion.

The committee also discussed the calling attention notice, regarding the sale and lease of commercial buildings for residential purposes without a completion certificate in Islamabad, and deferred the matter for further deliberations.

The committee issued the directions to frame the Capital Development Authority (CDA) regulations and regulatory framework within 30 days.

The parliamentary body discussed the leakage of rainwater from the roofs and walls of the parliament lodges.

The committee directed the concerned authorities to inquire into the matter and resolve the same. The committee expressed displeasure for not issuing funds by the Ministry of Finance, for the matter.

MNAs Syed Agha Rafiullah, Usama Qadri, Asiya Azeem and senior officials of the Ministry of Interior attended the meeting.