On Tuesday, a private bill was presented to the National Assembly Secretariat, advocating for a prohibition on judges holding dual nationality.
This action followed recent criticism by the Islamabad High Court against a ‘malicious’ social media campaign targeting Justice Babar Sattar. JUI-F lawmaker Noor Alam Khan introduced the bill, which proposes amendments to articles 177, 193, and 208 of the Constitution concerning the appointment of judges and court personnel.
The amendment emphasizes the importance of judges’ allegiance to the state, aiming to ensure loyalty to Pakistan by preventing individuals with dual citizenship from attaining positions in the superior judiciary.
Furthermore, it asserted that judges with dual nationality jeopardize the interests of their actual country, emphasizing the necessity of demonstrating loyalty to the Constitution.
It is notable that the issue of judges holding dual nationality garnered attention recently when the Registrar’s Office of the Islamabad High Court responded to a letter from Senator Faisal Vawda, affirming that holding citizenship or residency in another country does not disqualify an individual from becoming a judge under the Constitution of Pakistan.
In April, the Islamabad High Court clarified that Justice Sattar does not possess dual nationality, countering a ‘malicious’ social media campaign against him subsequent to a letter addressed to the Supreme Judicial Council.
“The Islamabad High Court stated in a press release that Justice Babar Sattar has always been a citizen solely of Pakistan,” the statement read.
The release came in response to what the court described as a “false, malicious, and contemptuous” social media campaign against the judge. Confidential information, including travel documents of Justice Sattar, his family, and purported details of his properties as per tax returns, were circulated with “untruthful” allegations.
This campaign unfolded following a letter from six IHC judges to the five members of the Supreme Judicial Council, which Justice Sattar had endorsed. The March 25 letter called for a judicial convention to address alleged interference by intelligence agency in the judiciary.
Recently, Justice Sattar reiterated concerns about alleged interference by security agencies in the judicial process. In a letter addressed to IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, he claimed he was pressured to withdraw from a case involving audio leaks.
