Pakistani nationality law facts for kids

The Pakistani nationality law explains the rules about who is a citizen of Pakistan. The main law, called the Pakistan Citizenship Act, was created on April 13, 1951. Pakistan is special because it's the only country in Asia that gives citizenship to anyone born there, no matter where their parents are from. This is called jus soli (which means "right of soil").

What is Pakistani Citizenship?

Before Pakistan became its own country, it was part of the British Raj, which was a big area that also included modern-day India and Bangladesh. People living there were considered British subjects.

Pakistan was founded on August 14, 1947. It was created as a home for Muslims. At first, Pakistan was a "Dominion" within the Commonwealth of Nations, which means it was an independent country but still recognized the British monarch. Back then, Pakistan included what is now Bangladesh, which was known as East Bengal or East Pakistan. Bangladesh became independent from Pakistan in 1971.

After Pakistan became independent in 1947, millions of Muslims moved to Pakistan from India. At the same time, millions of Hindus and Sikhs who lived in Pakistan moved to India. All these big moves created many questions about who was a citizen and who wasn't.

The Pakistan Citizenship Act of 1951

The Pakistan Citizenship Act became law on April 13, 1951. Its main goal was to set clear rules for who could be a citizen of Pakistan. This law has been updated many times, with the last changes made in the year 2000. The Act has 23 different parts, each explaining a different rule about citizenship.

Can You Have Two Citizenships in Pakistan?

Since Pakistan became independent, many Pakistanis have moved to live in other parts of the world, like the Middle East, Europe, and North America. Because of this, the rules about Pakistani nationality have changed.

Pakistan allows "dual citizenship" (having citizenship in two countries at the same time) in some special situations:

• If a person is younger than 21 years old.
• If a person is also a British citizen.
• If a person has United States or Swedish nationality.

However, Pakistanis who have dual citizenship cannot hold certain important jobs. For example, they cannot work in public office, be part of the government's assemblies, run in elections, or join the Pakistani military.

Challenges with Citizenship Rules

Pakistan and India both claim a region called Kashmir. This area has been the reason for several wars between the two countries. The Pakistani Citizenship Act of 1951 allowed people from Kashmir to travel with a Pakistani passport and be considered Pakistani citizens.

When Bangladesh became independent in 1971, about half a million people became "stranded Pakistanis". These people originally came from the Bihar region. Even though there were promises, Bangladesh does not accept them as citizens.

On the other hand, many Bangladeshis moved to Pakistan between 1971 and 1995. Their population grew to more than 1.6 million, even though there were only about 10,000 at the time Bangladesh separated. Most of these new people are not legal citizens because they moved after the separation.

Also, there are about 1.5 million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan who are officially registered. Even though many of them were born in Pakistan, they are not given Pakistani nationality for political and other reasons.