Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that there is no law in Pakistan that prohibits anyone having foreign nationalities from becoming special assistants or advisers to prime minister.
The cabinet division on Saturday had issued details of assets and dual nationalities of 20 advisers and special assistants to the prime minister (SAPM).The list showed SAPM on Petroleum Nadeem Babar having US citizenship, SAPM on Overseas Pakistanis Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari United Kingdom’s, SAPM on Power Division Shahzad Qasim US’s and SAPM on Digital Pakistan Tania S. Aidrus having Canadian citizenship.
Following oppositions’ outcry, Qureshi said that law only bars a dual national from becoming a senator or member of the National Assembly. He said the appointment of these SAPMs and advisor is not new as previous governments have also appointed people with foreign nationality.
The foreign minister further said that previous governments did not make its cabinet members’ assets public. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision to have his cabinet members’ declare their assets will help in transparency and holding them accountable.