FIA report reveals names of election candidates holding dual nationalities

ISLAMABAD: Scrutinising credentials of electoral candidates, the Election Commission of Pakistan has identified more than 100 election candidates holding dual nationalities.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) reported precisely identified that the number of aspiring lawmakers stands at 122.

Of the total 21,482 candidates for the national and provincial assemblies, the ECP has mentioned over 100 dual nationals and 2,178 defaulters from the list.

The FIA in its report pointed out anomalies found in 49 nomination papers filed for the National Assembly, 53 for the Punjab Assembly, 11 for the Sindh Assembly, eight for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and one for the Balochistan Assembly.

According to the report, at least 60 candidates were found to be also holding the nationality of the UK and 26 of the United States. While 24 candidates hold the Canadian passport, three that of Ireland and two hold Belgian nationality.

Following is the province-wise breakdown of election candidates holding dual nationalities.

Dual nationals contesting for National Assembly seats:

The dual nationals among the candidates for National Assembly seats include Faisal Vawda (NA-249), Mohammad Gulfam (NA-13), Mohammad Tariq (NA-18), Tufail Mohammad (NA-19), Arsallah Khan Hoti (NA-21), Siraj Mohammad (NA-25), Arshad Bashir (NA-32), Hashim Inamullah Khan (NA-36), Mohammad Saleem (NA-40), Ali Begum Khan (NA-46), Farhana Qamar (NA-53), Chaudhry Mohammad Khursheed Zaman (NA-58), Mohammad Azhar Aslam (NA-60), Nadeem Khadim (NA-66), Bilal Azhar (NA-66), Mohammad Akram (NA-73), Mohammad Akbar Chaudhry (NA-74), Ali Zahid (NA-74), Naveed Anwar Bhinder (NA-81), Mohammad Naveed (NA-86), Malik Mohammad Wazir (NA-87), Aqeel Ahmed (NA-102), Zahid Akram (NA-14 and 128), Nasira Sangal (NA-137 & NA-138), Ghulam Mujtaba Rai (NA-141), Sumera Ahsan (NA-141), Umair Anwar (NA-142), Jahan Ara Chaudhry (NA-143), Ahmad Yar Haraj (NA-151), Liaquat Ali Khan (NA-158), Tehmina Shafique Ahmed (NA-182), Nadir Leghari (NA-204), Sardar Mohammad Usman Almani Baloch (NA-211), Babar Chandio (NA-225), Arshad Naeem Khan (NA-227), Zafar Ali Khan (NA-227), Sabir Hussain (NA-244), Habib Shaikh (NA-246) and Fauzia Danial Kasuri (NA-247).

However, Fauzia Kasuri in a recent tweet, clarified that she relinquished her US citizenship on March 22, 2013.

Candidates for Punjab Assembly:

On the list those fighting seats in Punjab Assembly include Jahangir Khanzada (PP-2), Razik Dad Khan (PP-5), Mohammad Haroon Kamal Hashmi (PP-7), Shakila Shaukat (PP-8 and 9), Chaudhry Mohammed Ishtiaq (PP-8), Chaudhry Mohammad Khurshid Zaman (PP-8), Lal Hussain (PP-26), Tauseef Raza Hussain (PP-26), Nadeem Khadim (PP-26), Zafar Iqbal (PP-26), Bilal Azhar (PP-26), Syed Amir Hamza Peerzada (PP-26), Khurshid Alam Chaudhry (PP-28), Ali Raza Warraich (PP-30), Choudhry Naeem Akhtar (PP-33),Mohammad Akram (PP-36), Mohammad Akhlaq (PP-36), Tariq Subhani (PP-38), Mohammad Akbar (PP-40),Babar Siddique (PP-46), Najam Hussain Cheema (PP-53), Naveed Anwar Bhinder (PP-59), Baasima Chaudhry (PP-66), Amir Abdullah Khan (PP-87), Mohammad Ramzan (PP-120), Mohammad Tariq (PP-131), Naveed Akhtar Khan (PP-139), Imtiaz Mehmood (PP-152), Chaudhry Mohammad Aatif (PP-159 and 167), Imtiaz Mehmood (PP-166), Abrar Hussain (PP-173), Nasira Sangal (PP-175), Mohammad Javed (PP-183), Jahan Ara Chaudhry (PP-184), Ahmad Yar Hiraj (PP-205), Liaquat Ali Khan (PP-221), Mohammad Afzal Karim (PP-231), Mohammad Ali Langrial (PP-232), Mohammad Sohail Wahid (PP-260), Masud Majeed Khan (PP-262) and Sardar Arslan H Leghari (PP-265).

Candidates for Sindh Assembly:

The 11 candidates for the Sindh assembly including former chief minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah (PS-80), Nadir Akmal Khan Leghari (PS-19), Sardar Mohammad Usman Almani Baloch (PS-33 and 34), Ameeruddin Abro (PS-58), Babar Chandio (PS-63, 64 and 67), Zafar Ali Rajput (PS-67), Habib Shaikh (PS-109) and Syed Imran Ali Shah (PS-129).

Candidates for KP Assembly:

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eight candidates including Habibul Mukhtar (PK-13), Zulfikar Khan Tanoli (PK-33), Mohammad Qasim Shah (PK-42), Mohammad Farooq Khan (PK-45), Arsallah Khan Hoti (PK-52), Ziaullah Khan (PK-6), Zahid Khan (PK-63) and Hisham Inamullah Khan (PK-92).

Balochistan Assembly

The FIA report identifies only a single candidate from Balochistan named Asim Ali Shah (PB-26) holding a dual nationality.