ISLAMABAD: The federal government has directed all ministries and divisions to collect detailed information on bureaucrats holding foreign citizenship, foreign travel documents or marriages to foreign nationals, under the Civil Servants (Disclosure and Regulation of Foreign Nationality) Rules, 2026.
An office memorandum issued by the Establishment Division on October 21, 2026 requires civil servants to submit a formal declaration covering their nationality status within 90 days of the rules being notified in the official Gazette.
The declaration must cover the nationality status of the officials and their dependents, any foreign travel documents they hold, and marriages to foreign nationals.
What the new rules require
The disclosure regime is wide in scope. Every civil servant falling under the rules must state whether they or any of their dependents hold the nationality of another country. They must also declare foreign travel documents in their possession and report any marriage to a foreign national.
The Establishment Division has asked ministries and divisions to compile consolidated information on all officers under their administrative control. For each officer, the record must include name, designation and basic pay scale, whether the declaration has been submitted, and the foreign nationality or travel document status of both the officer and their dependents.
The exercise creates a standing dataset inside each ministry, giving the government a consolidated picture of foreign nationality links across the civilian bureaucracy.
False declarations to count as misconduct
The rules carry a sharp edge. Under Rule 3(4), failure to submit the required declaration, or making a false declaration, constitutes misconduct under the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020.
The 2020 framework is the main instrument for proceeding against civil servants, with penalties ranging from censure to dismissal depending on the gravity of the charge. By routing false declarations through that framework, the government has signalled that it views concealment of foreign nationality as a disciplinary matter rather than a paperwork lapse.
Officials who file incorrect information, or ignore the 90-day window, will face the same machinery used for corruption and inefficiency cases.
Four elite services excluded
One notable feature of the memorandum is its exclusions. The information-collection exercise does not cover officers of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP), the Secretariat Group (SG) or the Office Management Group (OMG).
These four groups form the elite core of the federal bureaucracy, supplying the secretaries, commissioners and senior field officers who run the administrative machinery. The memorandum does not state why they have been left out of this particular data-collection round, nor does it say whether a separate exercise will cover them.
The exclusion is significant because past public debate on dual nationality in public office has often centred on senior office-holders. For now, the disclosure drive applies to the rest of the civil service, with the top cadres outside its immediate scope.
Why the disclosure drive matters
Questions of foreign nationality among public servants have returned to the headlines repeatedly in recent years. Earlier this month, Feature Pakistan reported on restrictions affecting Pakistani aircrew holding dual nationality, showing how nationality questions cut across both civilian and security-sensitive roles.
The government’s position is that the state is entitled to a complete record of its servants’ foreign links. Supporters of the measure argue that undisclosed second nationalities create conflicts of interest, particularly in postings dealing with sensitive policy, procurement or security matters.
Critics are likely to ask two questions: why the most powerful service groups have been exempted from the first round, and how the government intends to verify declarations rather than simply collecting them. The answers will determine whether the exercise becomes a genuine transparency tool or another file that gathers dust.
The move fits a broader pattern of institutional tightening by the federal government, from tax administration reforms to fresh accountability probes. Each step adds a layer of documentation and declared compliance to a bureaucracy long criticised for opacity.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to file the foreign nationality declaration?
All civil servants under the 2026 disclosure rules, except PAS, PSP, Secretariat Group and Office Management Group officers.
What is the deadline for filing?
Declarations must be submitted within 90 days of the rules being notified in the official Gazette, under an Establishment Division memorandum dated October 21, 2026.
What happens if a bureaucrat files a false declaration?
Under Rule 3(4), failure to file or filing a false declaration constitutes misconduct under the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020, exposing the officer to disciplinary proceedings.
What details must ministries collect?
For each officer: name, designation, basic pay scale, whether the declaration was submitted, and the foreign nationality or travel document status of the officer and their dependents, including marriages to foreign nationals.
