Islamabad: Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik's claim that he has given up his British nationality cannot be verified as the UK Home Office does not disclose data of its citizens to any person or functionary other than the concerned citizen.
According to The Nation, this fact was known after an SMS conversation with a London-based lawyer dealing with immigration and human rights cases, who said the ''Data Protection Act'' is strictly applied in the UK.
"The Data Protection Act is strictly applied in the UK. It can only be sought through an application for data access to the Home Office. I make these applications frequently, however, I need his (Rehman Malik) signature on authority letter, otherwise, the Home Office would not disclose it," the lawyer said.
During a recent visit to the UK, Malik had claimed that he had withdrawn his UK nationality in 2008 before holding public office, and if anyone had doubts could go to the UK Home Office to confirm.
Malik has so far failed to produce the nationality renunciation 1 (NR1) form before the Supreme Court of Pakistan, which certifies that he has given up his British nationality.
The Supreme Court, hearing a petition on a dual nationality issue of four legislators, rejected the documents submitted by Mali’s counsel showing that he had renounced his British nationality because the papers were not duly certified.
The court ordered the counsel to submit the NR1 form duly signed and stamped along with a receipt mentioning payment of renunciation fee as a formal evidence to prove that he had renounced his citizenship till June 04.
ANI
First Published: Friday, June 01, 2012, 16:19