Pakistan is working on legislation that would allow former citizens to regain Pakistani nationality — but only if they are from countries that have a dual nationality agreement with Pakistan.
The Senate, the upper house of Parliament, gave initial approval to the amendment on Friday. The bill, presented by the Interior Ministry, now awaits a vote in the National Assembly.
The proposed change adds a subclause to the Pakistan Citizenship Act, allowing former citizens to restore their nationality through a formal declaration. Their children would also be eligible for Pakistani citizenship under the same provision.
Interior Ministry officials said the law would apply to citizens of 22 countries with which Pakistan has dual nationality agreements. These include the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and several others.
The bill was introduced by Talal Chaudhry, Minister of State for Interior, in the Senate.
The amendment was proposed by the government in May 2023, after which it was sent to the Senate’s standing committee for discussion.
Senator Faisal Rehman approved the bill in early July.
A large number of Pakistanis living abroad had previously renounced their citizenship to acquire nationality in foreign countries. But many of those countries have since signed dual nationality agreements with Pakistan, prompting calls from expatriates to restore their Pakistani citizenship — a legal option that does not currently exist.
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