27th Amendment: Who could lose their dual citizenship?

ISLAMABAD: The government is considering changes to Pakistan’s dual citizenship law under the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendment.

Though Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said that the proposal is related to only officers serving in civil and armed services, social media remained rife with speculation about a complete revocation of dual nationality rights.

Earlier, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that his party would support the government on amending Article 243 under the proposed 27th Amendment but cannot support the amendment related to dual citizenship.

Some social media users suggested that the government may move to prohibit all Pakistani citizens from holding the nationality of another country.

This is not the first time dual nationality has triggered speculation and debate in Pakistan.

In August, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claimed that more than half of the country’s bureaucrats had purchased property in Portugal, including several prominent officials.

Who might lose dual nationality rights?

Rana Sanaullah confirmed that one of the proposals under discussion in the 27th Amendment seeks to bar individuals with dual nationality from serving in civil or armed services.

Speaking on Samaa TV, he said: “It’s still under discussion. The matter will go to committees. But the suggestion is that in our essential services — civil and army service — no officer should have dual nationality.”

He added that views may differ on issues such as dual nationality, population, education, curriculum, and health, but “these are matters that should be debated and resolved one way or another.”

Debate on social media

Before Sanaullah’s clarification, many social media users had voiced concerns that the government might ban all citizens from holding dual nationality.

A user named Najm Ali wrote that abolishing dual citizenship would be a violation of basic human rights.

“Citizenship is not a measure of patriotism, honesty or competence,” he said. “Corruption and bad governance in Pakistan have been carried out by those who hold only Pakistani nationality.”

Another user, Faizan Lakhani, warned that the proposed amendment could have negative repercussions. “Many Pakistani-origin athletes proudly represent Pakistan in cricket, football, swimming, tennis and other sports,” he said.

A user named Ajeeb Hussain added: “Name one country where members of the military or civil leadership hold dual nationality. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, they do — and still claim to be patriots.”

Past revelations about officials’ foreign assets

Questions over bureaucrats and officials holding foreign assets or dual nationality have surfaced repeatedly in the past.

In May 2024, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) released its *Dubai Unlocked* investigation, which examined foreign ownership in Dubai’s real estate sector.

According to Pakistani partner publication Dawn, leaked 2022 data showed around 17,000 Pakistani nationals owned about 23,000 residential properties in Dubai — including several former military officers, bankers, politicians, and bureaucrats.

Earlier in January, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior was informed that more than 22,000 bureaucrats in Pakistan hold dual nationality.

Last month, the government amended the Civil Servants Act, making it mandatory for officials from grade 17 to 22 to declare their assets and financial details, both within and outside the country.

A new Section 15-A was added to the 1973 Act, requiring civil servants’ asset declarations to be made public through the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

What does Pakistan’s dual nationality law say?

Pakistan’s citizenship laws are governed under the Citizenship Act of 1951, which outlines 23 clauses defining conditions and exceptions for citizenship.

Section 10 of the Act addresses citizenship in cases of marriage: a foreign woman who marries a Pakistani man is entitled to Pakistani nationality, but the same provision does not apply to foreign men marrying Pakistani women.

In 2012, the Election Commission of Pakistan made it mandatory for all candidates to declare on oath that they did not hold the nationality of another country.

The Citizenship Act has been amended multiple times. In August this year, an amendment allowed former Pakistanis who had renounced their nationality after acquiring another citizenship to reapply for Pakistani nationality.

Pakistan currently has dual nationality agreements with 22 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Belgium, Iceland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Finland, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United States, Sweden, Ireland, Bahrain, Denmark, Germany, and Norway.