ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has suspended the National Assembly membership of Farahnaz Ispahani due to her American nationality.
The apex court was hearing the dual nationality case during which documents pertaining to Farahnaz's US nationality were presented.
During proceedings, Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja remarked that the US oath of citizenship states that one could even hold a gun if the need arose for the defence of the United States.
The Supreme Court said that Ispahani had confided that she was an American citizen and it would be in the greater interest of the people if the membership of parliamentarians holding dual nationality be suspended.
According to the Supreme Court, Ispahani had not informed the Election Commission about her dual nationality.
Farahnaz Isphani who is the wife of Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani was elected on a PPP-P reserved seat ticket.
Also during proceedings, the counsel for Interior Minister Rehman Malik on behalf of his client requested for more time to present the certificate of Malik forfeiting his British citizenship.
The hearing of the case has been adjourned till May 30.
In earlier proceedings of the case, the Supreme Court had issued notices to Rehman Malik and Farahnaz Ispahani.
The case is being heard by a three member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.