The Government of Pakistan has an agreement with 20 countries, including USA, UK, Canada etc. allowing citizens of Pakistan to hold their nationality, while simultaneously being eligible for NICOP and our passport. However, once a Pakistani citizen takes an Oath of Citizenship of the USA, or any other country, he is bound by oath to obey the laws of that country and pledge undivided loyalty to his newly adopted country and its constitution.
Recently the Ministry of Defense has suspended the pension and perks of former DG ISI, retd Gen Durrani after they had doubts about his interaction with his RAW counterpart. On the same logic pensions and perks of all former retired civil or uniformed officers who have renounced their previous loyalty to Pakistan when taking American/UK/etc Oath of Citizenship must be suspended and withdrawn. In any case they get welfare benefits from their new adopted country.
When an individual takes Oath of Citizenship of any other country, they are required as per law to perform whatever the state considers to be in its national security interest. In the USA they have a Patriots Act, which clearly makes it obligatory on an individual to uphold his pledge to the American Constitution, irrespective of his previous loyalty. The American Constitution debars any such individual who has taken an Oath of Citizenship to pledge his loyalty thereafter to any other state, including the country of his origin. It means that a US national cannot pledge an oath of loyalty to any other country, nor its constitution. The US Constitution demands undivided loyalty, which every country must ensure if they want to remain sovereign and independent. State sovereignty and national security interests are too sacrosanct and cannot be entrusted with individuals having divided loyalty.
Ali Malik Tariq
Lahore
