Pakistani lawmakers quit over dual nationality

Six members of the provincial assembly, including four ministers, of Pakistan's Sindh province have resigned after they failed to come up with affidavits testifying that they were not citizens of two countries.

Those who resigned Saturday were Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) Raza Haroon, Mohammad Ali Shah, Askari Taqwi and Abdul Moid Siddiqui and the Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) Murad Ali Shah and Sadiq Ali Memon, Geo News reported.

The Dawn said Murad Ali Shah was finance minister, Memon was minister for technical education and mines and minerals, Haroon was IT minister, and Mohammad Ali Shah was sports minister.

The assembly speaker accepted their resignations and sent them to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

However, the assembly members did not make it clear in their resignations whether they were quitting over the dual nationality issue.

The ECP's deadline for affidavits in the dual nationality case expired Nov 30. As many as 16 lawmakers from the national and provincial assemblies failed to file affidavits.

The media reports, however, did not make it clear which other countries' passports the lawmakers were said to be holding.