Dual citizenship: Court issues arrest warrants for Nadia Gabol, Farahnaz Ispahani

KARACHI: A sessions court issued on Thursday arrest warrants of former MNA Farah Naz Isphani and ex-MPA Nadia Gabol, in relation to dual nationality case.

The court heard the case today, in which the two former lawmakers failed to appear despite repeated summons.

The court while issuing the arrest warrants due to the lawmakers’ repeated absence, ordered that the two should be produced before it on September 23.

During the hearing, Naz Ispahani’s advocate said that his client is abroad for medical treatment.

Earlier, the court had rejected the acquittal pleas filed by former MPA Gabol and ex-MNA Ispahani.

The memberships of Nadia Gabol and Farahnaz Ispahani were suspended by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in July 2012. The ECP had disqualified 11 lawmakers in relation to the dual nationality case under the apex court.

According to article 63 (1) (C) of the constitution‚ no parliamentarian can have dual citizenship, the court had said in 2012 verdict.

The petition against dual nationality was filed under Article 184(3) of the Constitution asking for the disqualification of the parliamentarians having dual citizenship in terms of Article 63(1)(c) of the Constitution read with section 14 of the Pakistan Citizenship Act, 1951.

Nadia Gabol earlier served as the provincial minister for human rights after she was elected on a Mutthida Qaumi Movement seat. She later on joined the Pakistan Peoples Party and became advisor to the chief minister.