- SAPMs’ foreign citizenship makes for bad optics
The Cabinet Division has itself disclosed that seven Special Assistants to the PM have dual nationality, while also releasing details of their assets at home and abroad. While it goes to the credit of the government that it has itself disclosed this information, and that it was not forced by a question in Parliament or a court order to do so, it still makes for bad optics. It is true that the PTI has got a broad base of support among overseas Pakistanis, but that does not give them a lien on Cabinet positions. When declaring holders of foreign nationality ineligible to be members of Parliament, those affected should include Cabinet members as well. However, the concerned SAPMs are not members of Parliament. The Supreme Court had expressed apprehensions about the security of national sensitive information if it became available to people holding foreign nationality, and had noted that the nation which had given that nationality could exert pressure and obtain that information. The Court’s worries about the possibility of foreign influence on legislators does not apply, but the presence of such persons among those with ministerial rank cannot escape notice. It should be noted that the SAPMs are routinely invited to attend Cabinet meetings, and thus receive Cabinet papers. It should also not be forgotten that some SAPMs are executive heads of departments.
Bad enough as this question of divided loyalties is, there is the issue of the assets owned. Naturally, those with ties abroad have property there, which is duly detailed. However, the PTI had made it an issue in the last election the owning of property abroad by PML (N) leaders, for which they had got Mian Nawaz Sharif removed as Prime Minister. The demand for a money trail was made because he had held public office. Some of the SAPMs have now held office for long enough to have a legal obligation but do not have a moral one. While the PTI itself needs to explain why the government needs so many fly-by-night operators, who will merely return to foreign sanctuaries when the party is no longer in office.
The government has two options: one is to let the opposition take the issue to the courts, where the outcome would be uncertain. The other would be to take action, and make the government’s team less subject to criticism.
