5,065 Pakistanis renounced citizenship in last 18 months.

Byline: Imran Mukhtar

ISLAMABAD -- The Passport Office Wednesday informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior that as many 5,065 Pakistanis renounced their citizenship during the last one and half year while only 111 foreigners got Pakistani citizenship during the same period.

Director General Immigration and Passports Ishrat Ali while briefing the committee about the structure and working of his organisation informed that 3,563 Pakistanis renounced their citizenship during the last fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2018. Similarly, 1502 Pakistanis renounced their citizenship in the first six months of ongoing fiscal year. He said that those Pakistanis renounced citizenship that got nationality of those countries that had no dual nationality agreement signed with Pakistan.

He told the meeting which met in the chair of ruling party member of National Assembly Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz that only 88 feigners got Pakistani nationality during the last fiscal year while 23 foreigners were issued Pakistani nationality in the first six months of ongoing fiscal year 2018-2019. He said that mostly foreign spouses of Pakistani nationalists applied for the nationality of the country. He expressed his surprise the number of those surrendered the nationality was bigger than those who got the citizenship.

Only 111 foreigners got Pak citizenship during the same period

According to DG Passports, as many 4141 and 845 persons were included in the Black List of passport office for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the first six months of fiscal year 2018-2019 respectively. Separately, 706 and 376 people were included in the Foreign Control List (Blacklist) for the same period.

He further said that passport office issued as many 3, 723, 145 passports during fiscal year 2017-2018 and 2, 146, 901 passports were issued in the first six months of ongoing fiscal year. Similarly, the passport office gave 71,377 and 29,751 extensions in visas for the same period. These extensions were for family, student, business and tourist visas.

Ali said that 173 passports offices were operating throughout the country and 93 were working in Pakistan's foreign missions aboard. The government policy is that there should be a passport office in every district of the country, he said adding now almost every district had its own office. He said that there were only 28 passport offices in 2004 in the country.

DG Passports also informed lawmakers that e-passport for Pakistanis...