Arrest warrants issued for Nadia Gabol, Farahnaz Ispahani in dual citizenship case

KARACHI: A district and sessions court here on Thursday issued arrest warrants of two former lawmakers Farahnaz Ispahani and Nadia Gabol in dual citizenship case after they failed to turn up before the court despite being summoned time and again.

The court was hearing the case when passed arrest orders of the lawmakers and directed authorities concerned to produce them before it on September 23.

During the proceedings today, Farahnaz Ispahani’s counsel apprised the court that his client is abroad for medical treatment.

Earlier, the court had rejected acquittal pleas filed by the duo.

It merits to mention here that Supreme Court of Pakistan had suspended the memberships of Ispahani’s National Assembly and Gabol’s Provincial Assembly seats for having dual nationality under Article 63 (1) (C) of the constitution in 2012, stating no parliamentarian can have dual citizenship.

Subsequently, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had disqualified 11 other lawmakers in connection with holding dual nationality under the top court orders.

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. Later, she joined the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and became advisor to the chief minister.