News
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Former MNA submits names of ‘dual nationals’ to SC
* Shehnaz Sheikh submits list of 20 MNAs; says some still in parliament
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Former PML-Q MNA Begum Shehnaz Sheikh on Monday submitted a list of dual national lawmakers, alleging that some of them are still members of parliament and enjoying perks and privileges.
The list of 20 lawmakers provided by Shehnaz Sheikh included the names of Dr Asim Hussain, Sabeen Rizvi, Dr Araish Kumar, Syed Tayyb Hussain, Dr Nadeem Ehsan, Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi, Fauzia Ejaz, Dr Tahir Ali Javed, Jamil Ashraf, Murad Ali Shah, Sadiq Ali Memon, Abdul Moid Siddiqi, Dr Syed Muhammad Ali Shah, Askari Taqvi, Muhammad Raza Haroon, Engineer Javaid Iqbal Tarkai, Faiza Asghar, Donia Aziz (a US citizen by birth), Arif Aziz Sheikh (Australian citizen by birth) and Muhammad Jameel Malik.
In an open letter addressed to Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, the former minister of state for health submitted the list, saying that they have been given a different treatment, alleging that all these parliamentarians have not been directed to surrender their perks and privileges, and some of them are still members of parliament. “I, Begum Shahnaz Sheikh, former member National Assembly, NA-303, resigned from my membership of National Assembly on September 17, 2012, prior to the judgement passed by the apex court on October 20, 2012, on the dual nationality issue, but I have been dealt with an uneven footing which may hurt the very spirit of principles of natural justice,” she wrote.
The former PML-Q MNA submitted that she has never made any false statements either before her party head, the Election Commission of Pakistan, National Assembly Secretariat or before the Supreme Court. She requested the chief justice to stop proceedings for the recovery of the salaries/perks until the decision on her review petition which is pending before the Supreme Court.
It must be noted that the Supreme Court had on October 3, 2012, suspended the National Assembly membership of Begum Shehnaz Sheikh for holding Australian citizenship. The court had suspended her National Assembly Membership after taking suo motu notice on a news item in an English daily on September 21, wherein it was reported that Shahnaz is an Australian-Pakistani who has been an Australian citizen for at least 16 years, knowing well that a dual national is not eligible for the position she held in the previous parliament and the present one.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk