ISLAMABAD: While reserving its judgment on the eligibility of dual nationality holding MPs to continue to have the elected offices Tuesday, the Supreme Court said that they could not be given the authority for law making.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justices Jawaad S. Khawaja and Khilji Arif Hussain said it would announce its ruling within two days.

Also at stake is the Senate membership of Interior Minister A. Rehman Malik. Justice Khawaja spoke about Attorney General Irfan Qadir using cricketing terminologies and said that he always bowled googlies with Justice Hussain adding that whether this was [cricketer] Saeed Ajmal’s ‘doosra’ or  ‘teesra.’

The bench said that at the time of his election as senator in 2008, Malik held two nationalities – British and Pakistani.

Double nationalities held by MPs sparked a debate and the Supreme Court disqualified several of them.

It suspended the membership of Muhammad Jamil Malik, Dr Amna Buttar, Zahid Iqbal, Farah Naz Ispahani, Muhammad Akhlaq and Dr Ahmad Ali Shah.

In Malik’s case, the bench asked his counsel to produce the renunciation certificate issued by the UK Border Agency (UKBA) and sought a fresh record of his election as a senator from the Election Commission of Pakistan by Oct.2.

His lawyer Anwar Mansoor told the bench that Malik ceased to be a British citizen after May 29 this year.

The chief justice questioned why Malik resigned if he was duly elected senator. Mansoor replied that he did so due to the media campaign against him, adding that “Malik wanted to come clean.”

He cited the example of Jamshaid Dasti, who also resigned when the apex court was hearing his disqualification case in fake degree.

The bench was told on behalf of the dual nationality holder Dr Buttar that she would not be going to the Punjab Assembly in future.

Referring to British nationality, Justice Hussain said that the British national thinks himself the slave of the Queen and added that the common man has the right to ask the MP about his double nationality.