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National Assembly. Photo: File
ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior on Tuesday postponed the Pakistan Citizenship Bill 2025 after extensive deliberation, seeking input from relevant authorities before moving forward.
During the session, held at Parliament House under the chairmanship of Raja Khurram Nawaz, committee members and officials voiced differences over key issues, including citizenship, national identity cards, and deadlines for migrants from East Pakistan after 1971.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry emphasised that the bill must ultimately be passed by the National Assembly and that its final approval lies with the country’s political leadership.
He urged all political parties to engage in dialogue and reach a consensus to resolve the sensitive matter. “All political parties should sit together to create unanimity,” he said.
Committee member Qadir Patel highlighted that migration into Pakistan is still ongoing, making citizenship issues particularly sensitive. He called for careful consideration of the legal framework to avoid further complications for incoming migrants.
The committee approved the Islamabad Senior Citizenship Bill 2025, presented by Sharmila Farooqi, which proposes that senior citizens aged 60 and above receive special concessions and discounts based on their existing identity cards, eliminating the need for a separate senior citizen card.
Under the bill, senior citizens would be entitled to a 25% discount on various government and private services. Farooqi stressed that this initiative would provide tangible relief to older citizens without creating additional bureaucratic hurdles.
Nabeel Gabol, another committee member, highlighted the need to consult NADRA, noting that biometric verification can sometimes be challenging for citizens over 60, as fingerprint impressions may not always be clear.
Minister Talal Chaudhry added that the bill’s benefits should extend beyond Islamabad and be implemented nationwide. “If this is a good bill, it should be applied across the country,” he said.
The Pakistan Citizenship Bill 2025, presented by Khawaja Izharul Hassan, was also reviewed in detail. Hassan reminded the committee that a significant number of people had voluntarily migrated from East Pakistan in 1971, yet many citizens in Karachi and other cities remain without national identity cards.
He noted that the third generation of these migrants has now reached adulthood in Pakistan, but citizenship challenges persist.
