ISLAMABAD – The Establishment Division has directed civil servants, particularly officers belonging to the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), Police Service of Pakistan (PSP), Secretariat Group (SG) and Office Management Group (OMG), to submit declarations regarding their foreign nationality, foreign travel documents and marriages with foreign nationals. In an Office Memorandum dated October 2, 2026, the Establishment Division warned that officers who fail to submit the required declaration within one week could face proceedings under the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020. The memorandum refers to the Civil Servants (Disclosure and Prohibition of Foreign and Dual Nationality) Rules, 2026, under which all civil servants were required to declare their own and their dependents’ status regarding foreign nationality, foreign travel documents and marriage to a foreign national within 90 days of notification of the rules. The Establishment Division stated that a number of PAS, PSP, SG and OMG officers had still not submitted the required declarations. The development has once again brought into focus the long-standing issue of Pakistani bureaucrats acquiring foreign residency, nationality or immigration status while remaining part of the country’s civil service. It is a common allegation within bureaucratic and official circles that some government officers obtain education or scholarships abroad, take long leave or otherwise spend extended periods overseas and subsequently seek permanent residency, immigration or asylum in foreign countries before returning to Pakistan and continuing their government careers. Questions have also been raised over whether the government has a complete and reliable record of civil servants holding foreign nationalities or foreign travel documents. One possible way to establish the actual scale of the issue would be for the government to formally approach foreign diplomatic missions in Pakistan and assign Pakistani diplomatic missions abroad to collect information, where legally obtainable, concerning Pakistani civil servants who have acquired foreign nationality, permanent residency or other immigration status while remaining government employees. Such an exercise, if carried out systematically and in accordance with the laws of the countries concerned, could provide the government with information that cannot be obtained merely through self-declarations. There are also allegations that some government bureaucrats maintain particularly close relationships with foreign diplomats in Pakistan and provide them with sensitive information concerning internal government affairs and security matters. Critics allege that, in some cases, such cooperation or loyalty may later facilitate opportunities for such officials to move abroad and obtain foreign residency or nationality.
These claims, however, would require independent investigation and documentary evidence to establish the circumstances of any individual case. Some officials and observers have claimed that the number of bureaucrats with foreign nationality or overseas immigration status could be significantly higher than currently reflected in government records. Claims that the figure could reach 30 to 40 percent, however, would require independent verification and should not be treated as an established fact without official data. There are also allegations that some officials acquire foreign nationality or residency, allegedly become involved in corruption while serving in Pakistan, and subsequently move abroad with their wealth and families. Such allegations would require case-by-case investigation, documentary evidence and due process before any individual officer could be held responsible.
The latest Establishment Division memorandum is not the first attempt by the government to obtain information about foreign nationality and overseas links of civil servants. Similar directives have reportedly been issued in the past, yet the fact that the government is again asking officers to submit declarations indicates that the authorities still face difficulties in maintaining a comprehensive database. The key issue now is not merely the issuance of another official memorandum, but its implementation. The government has already provided a mechanism under which failure to submit a declaration, or submission of a false declaration, constitutes misconduct.
The effectiveness of the new directive will therefore depend on whether the authorities verify the declarations independently and take action where discrepancies are established. Without verification and enforcement, critics argue, such memorandums risk remaining another administrative exercise rather than becoming an effective mechanism for identifying conflicts involving foreign nationality, foreign residency and continued service in Pakistan’s public sector. The Establishment Division has directed all ministries and divisions to comply with the instructions and has also sent copies to chief secretaries and provincial police officers for similar action.
