Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, who had until a few years earlier been strongly against dual nationals holding public offices, has now rejected criticism against his own team members holding dual nationalities, which has led to people calling it “another U-turn”.
“I don’t know why people say that dual nationals cannot get any public office and cannot become a minister and why they [people] move courts every other day,” Dawn quoted Imran as saying while launching the Roshan Pakistan Digital Account (RPDA).
RPDA will provide innovative banking solutions to millions of non-resident Pakistanis seeking to undertake fund transfers, bill payments and investment activities in Pakistan.
Expressing displeasure over criticism of dual nationals holding public office, the premier stressed the need for tapping what he called “resource pool” of Pakistani experts and professionals living abroad for uplifting of the country.
“We do not have a bigger asset than that [overseas Pakistanis]. The best minds, professionals and entrepreneurs are outside the country. When we will create [conducive] conditions in the country, this big resource pool can return to the country,” he said, adding that when he established Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, it created an opportunity for overseas Pakistani experts and they returned to run the hospital.
His statements, however, were not very well received by Twitterati, who pointed out that Imran, back in opposition days, himself was strictly against the practice of handing public offices to dual nationals.
Here’s what they had to say:
The premier and members of his cabinet holding dual nationality recently came under severe criticism when the assets and status of dual nationality of all non-elected cabinet members — special assistants to the prime minister (SAPM) and advisers — were made public.
SAPM on Digital Pakistan Tania Aidrus resigned from her post due to the criticism levelled against her and the government because of her dual citizenship. In a tweet, Aidrus, who also holds Canadian nationality, had said, “Criticism levied towards the state as a consequence of my citizenship status is clouding the purpose of Digital Pakistan.”
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