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This is an archive article published on July 28, 2012
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Opinion Double trouble

A register of reports and views from the Pakistan press

indianexpress

Ruchika Talwar

July 28, 2012 12:13 AM IST First published on: Jul 28, 2012 at 12:13 AM IST

Double trouble

The cacophony surrounding the dual nationality of Pakistan’s legislators got louder this week. The dual nationality bill was presented earlier this month as the 22nd amendment to the Constitution. It seeks to abolish the restrictions that keep dual nationals from contesting elections in Pakistan. The bill was tabled after the suspension of the House membership of two MQM legislators from the Sindh Assembly and the controversial exit of Rehman Malik from the helm of the federal interior ministry. Farhanaz Isphahani,former advisor to President Asif Ali Zardari,also the wife of Husain Haqqani,had to resign from her reserved Senate seat as she held both American and Pakistani nationalities. The bill faced stiff resistance from not only the Opposition,but also from within the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

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Malik had said in June that he renounced his British nationality. But the Supreme Court order did not go his way and he had to resign from the Senate,the Upper House of Pakistan’s Parliament. As a result,he lost the rank of minister,but continued to serve in the capacity of advisor to the prime minister. This week the PPP managed to win back for Malik the Senate seat he had to vacate.

The website of The News reported on July 27: “Rehman Malik was elected unopposed at a by-election in the same seat for the Senate… which he held prior to his June suspension,paving the way for him to be reconfirmed as a cabinet minister.” The Nation’s website said: “Reacting strongly to Rehman Malik’s appointment as senator,PML-N staged a walkout from the senate to protest what they said flouting of the apex court’s orders by the PPP-led government.”

Olympic insult

IN OLYMPICS season,controversy paid a visit to Pakistan with a visa,albeit a fake one. British tabloid The Sun broke a story about a fake visa racket being run in Pakistan. It alleged the involvement of Pakistan’s national population register,the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra),in the racket,suggesting that there was a potential threat to the Olympics premises.

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The Express Tribune reported on July 25: “According to (the) Nadra investigation into the Olympics passport scam,no fraud or illegal act was committed while issuing the Computerised National Identity Card and passport to The Sun investigator as claimed by the tabloid.” London publicly invested trust in Islamabad,reported the Daily Times on July 27: “Expressing satisfaction on the passport issuing system in Pakistan,British High Commissioner to Pakistan Adam Thomson said on Thursday they trusted Pakistan’s passport issuance system and Nadra… To a question,the high commissioner accepted that no passport or visa system throughout the world was perfect. Commenting on the news item published in The Sun,Thomson said it was an example of investigative journalism,but it did not mean that anyone would get a visa from the high commission on (a) fake or forged passport. The high commissioner said there was an effective system in place at the British High Commission to check the forged documents… Praising Nadra,he said that such a system didn’t even exist in his country.”

Baptism live

The Express Tribune’s website reported on July 27 that a Hindu from Karachi converted to Islam on a live show hosted by Maya Khan. The report stated: “A Hindu’s conversion to Islam live on television during a prime-time Ramazan chat show has sparked criticism on behalf of religious minorities. In just five minutes,the 20-year-old introduced as Sunil officially changed his religion under a cleric’s guidance. A packed studio audience congratulated him and shouted out suggestions for his new Muslim name before he was renamed Mohammad Abdullah — the consensus choice. Abdullah insisted on Friday that he had been a willing convert.”