Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
A parliamentarians body on Friday was asked that government has to consider re-acquiring Pakistani citizenship after renouncing earlier.
Several overseas Pakistani have forwarded this suggestion for the government, which according to them would help to acquire foreign country citizenship.
Philippine is the country which offered this facility to their people, said Representative of Foreign Ministry of Pakistan in National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development.
According to Pakistan Citizenship Act, a person who has renounced Pakistani citizenship should not be able to re-acquire it.
In some countries it was compulsory to give-up his nationality to get the other country’s citizenship which help him/her in gaining work permit and other facilities.
The Representative further said that it was just a suggestion by some overseas Pakistanis and the ministry of Interior has to look into it.
About the dual nationality status, the Ministry of Interior’s Joint Secretary Faisal Nisar apprised the committee that Pakistan has dual nationality arrangements with 12 European countries.
These countries are; France, Italy, Belgium, Iceland, Finland, Switzerland, Netherland, Sweden, Ireland, Germany and Norway.
Moreover, children of Pakistani parents who have grown up in Germany who have due to their birth in Germany acquired German nationality in addition to their parents nationality from the other state.
He further said that dual nationality arrangements with Portugal, Czech Republic and Luxemburg were under process.
In case of Portugal, the JS said Director General Immigration & Passport and Intelligence Bureau have no objection, however, response from ISI is still awaited.
For Czech Republic, ISI has no objection but the response from IB is awaited. While in case of Luxemburg, IMPASS, ISI, IB have issued their NOCs.
However, Ministry of Foreign Affairs was requested to offer their recommendations before a summary is initiated in this regard, the JS maintained.
About skilled workforce, National Vocational & Technical Training Commission representative briefed the committee about training for skilled workforce.
The commission is responsible for formulation and execution of nationwide youth skill training programs and at federal level and is spearheading the implementation of the government’s reforms agenda in this sector. 98 percent skilled workforce were going to gulf countries and they accepting NAVTTC certification.
In Pakistan only 14 institutions were issuing certification, he maintained.
However, some institutions illegally were issuing certificate which affect Pakistan image abroad, he regretted.
