PAKISTAN CITIZENSHIP ACT, 1951

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THE PAKISTAN CITIZENSHIP ACT, 1951 
(II of 1951) 
CONTENTS 
1. Short title and commencement 
2. Definitions 
3. Citizenship at the date of commencement of this Act 
4. Citizenship by birth 
5. Citizenship by descent 
6. Citizenship by migration 
7. Persons migrating from the territories of Pakistan 
8. Rights of citizenship of certain persons resident abroad 
9. Citizenship by naturalization 
10. Married women 
11. Registration of minors 
12. Citizenship by registration to begin on date of registration 
13. Citizenship by incorporation of territory 
14. Dual citizenship or nationality not permitted 
14-A Renunciation of citizenship 
14-B Certain persons to be citizens of Pakistan 
15. Persons becoming citizens to have the status of Commonwealth citizens 
16. Deprivation of citizenship 
16-A Certain persons to lose and others to retain citizenship 
17. Certificate of domicile 
18. Delegation of persons 
19. Cases of doubt as to citizenship 
20. Acquisition of Pakistan citizenship by citizens of Commonwealth' 
countries 
21. Penalties 
22. Interpretation 
23. Rules 
TEXT 
THE PAKISTAN CITIZENSHIP ACT, 1951 
(II of 1951) 
[13th April, 1951] 
An 
Act 
to provide for Pakistan Citizenship 
Preamble.– Whereas it is expedient to make provision for citizenship of Pakistan; 
It is hereby enacted as follows:– 
1. Short title and commencement .– (1) This Act may be called the Pakistan 
Citizenship Act, 1951. 
(2) It shall come into force at once– 
2. Definitions.– In this Act:– 
'Alien' means a person who is not citizen of Pakistan or a Co mmonwealth 
citizen; 
'Indo-Pakistan sub -continent' means India as defined in the Government of 
India Act, 1935, as originally enacted; 'minor' means, notwithstanding 
anything in the Majority Act, 1875, any person who has not completed the age 
of twenty-one years; 'prescribed' means prescribed by rules made under this 
Act; 
'Commonwealth citizen' means a  person who has the status of a 
Commonwealth citizen under the British Nationality Act, 1948; 
'British protected person' means a person who has the status of a  British 
protected person for the purposes of the British Nationality Act, 1948. 
3. Citizenship at the date of commencement of this Act .– At the 
commencement of this Act every person shall be deemed to be a citizen of 
Pakistan:– 
(a) who or any of whose par ents or grandparents was born in the territory 
now included in Pakistan and who after the fourteenth day of August, 
1947, has not been permanently resident in any country outside 
Pakistan; or 
(b) who or any of whose parents or grandparents was born in the 
territories  included in India on the thirty -first day of March, 197 3, and 
who, except in the case of a person who was in the service of Pakistan 
or of any Government or Administration in Pakistan at the 
commencement of this Act, has or had his domicile wi thin the meaning 
of Part II of the Succession Act, 1925, as in force at the 
commencement of this Act, in Pakistan or in the territories now 
included in Pakistan;  
Or 
(c) Who is a person naturalized as a British subject in Pakistan; and who, 
if before  the date of the commencement of this Act he has acquired 
the citizenship of any foreign State, has before that date renounced the 
same by depositing a declaration in writing to that effect with an 
authority appointed or empowered to receive it; or 
(d) Who before the commencement of this Act migrated to the territories 
now  Included in Pakistan from any territory in the Indo -Pakistan sub-
continent outside those territories with the intention of residing 
permanently in those territories.  Proviso.Omitted by the Pakistan 
Citizenship Act, V of 1952, and Section 3. 
4. Citizenship by birth.– Every person born in Pakistan after the 
commencement of this Act shall be a citizen of Pakistan by birth: 
Provided that a person shall not be such a citizen by virtue of this section if at 
the time of his birth:– 
(a) his father possesses such immunity from suit and legal process as is 
accorded to an every of an external sovereign power accredited in 
Pakistan and is not a citizen of Pakistan; or 
(b) His father is an enemy alien and the birth occurs in a place then under 
occupation by the enemy. 
COMMENTS   
5. Citizenship by descent.– Subject to the provision of section 3 a person born 
after the commencement of th is Act, shall be a citizen of Pakistan  by descent if his 
parent is a citizen of Pakistan at the time of his birth: 
Provided that if the 
1
[parent] of such person is a citizen of Pakistan by descent 
only, that person shall not be a citizen of Pakistan by virtue of this section unless:– 
(a) that person's birth having, occurred in a countr y outside Pakistan the 
birth is registered at Pakistan Consulate or Mission in that country, or 
where there is no Pakistan Consulate or Mission in that country at the 
prescribed Consulate or Mission or at a Pakistan Consulate or Mission 
in the country nearest to that country ; or 
(b) That person's 
2
[parent] is, at the time of the birth, in the service of any 
Government in Pakistan.  
6. Citizenship by migration .– (1) The 
3
[Federal Government] may, upon his 
obtaining a certificate of domicile under this Act, register as a citizen of Pakistan by 
migration any person who 
4
[after the commencement of this Act and before the first 
day of January, 1952, has migrated] to the territories now included in Pakistan from 
                                                 
1Subs for the word “father” by ordinance NO. XIII of 2000 dated 18-04-2000. 
2Subs for the word “father” by ordinance NO. XIII of 2000 dated 18-04-2000. 
3Subs for “Central Government” by Act XLVII of 1973, 
4Subs, by the Pakistan Citizenship (Admt) Act. 1952 (V of 1952), S.5. for “before the commencement of this act migrated.” 
any territory in the Indo -Pakistan sub -continent outside those territories, with the 
intention of residing permanently in those territories: 
Provided that the Federal Government may, by general or special order, 
except
5
 any person or class persons from obtaining a certificate of domicile require 
under this subsection. 
(2) Registration granted under the preceding subsection shall include 
besides the person himself, his wife, if any, unless his marriage with her has been 
dissolved and any minor child or his dependent whether wholly or partially upon him. 
7. Persons migrating from the territories of Pakistan .– Notwithstanding 
anything in sections 3, 4 and 6, a person who has after the first day of March 1947, 
migrated for the territories now included in Pakistan to the territories now included in 
India shall not be a citizen of Pakistan under the provision of these sections: 
Provided that nothing in this section shall apply to a person who, after having 
go migrated to the territories now included in India has returned to the territories now 
included in Pakistan under a permit for resettlement or permanent return issued by 
or under the authority of any law for the time being in force. 
8. Rights of citizenship of certain persons reside nt abroad .– 6
(1) The 
Federal Government may, upon application made to it in this half, register as a 
citizen of Pakistan any person who, or whose father or whose father's father, who 
born in the Indo -Pakistan sub-continent and who is ordinarily resident in  a country 
outside Pakistan at the commencement of this Act, if he has unless exempted by the 
Federal Government in this behalf, obtained a certificate of domicile: 
Provided that  certificate of domicile shall not be required in the case of any 
such person who is out of Pakistan under the protection of a Pakistan passport, or in 
the case of any such person whose father or whose father's father is at the 
commencement of this Act residing in Pakistan or become's before the aforesaid 
application is made a citizen of Pakistan. 
7
(2) A subject of the State of Jammu and Kashmir who, being under the 
protection of a Pakistan passport, is resident in the United Kingdom or such other 
country as the Federal Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, 
specify in this behalf, shall, without prejudice to his rights and status as a subject of 
that State, be deemed to be, and to have been, a citizen of Pakistan]. 
9. Citizenship by naturalization .– The Federal Government may, upon an 
application made to it in that behalf by any person who has been granted a certificate 
of naturalization under the Naturalization Act, 1926 register that person as a citizen 
of Pakistan by naturalization: 
Provided that the Federal Government may register any person as citizen of 
Pakistan without his having obtained a certificate of naturalization as aforesaid. 
                                                 
5All Gov. servants includent optees coming form the late govt. of India, shall as a class be exempt from obtaining the certificate 
of domicile, see Gaz. Of Pakistan 1952, R.1, P113. 
6Re-numbered by Pakistan Citizenship. (Amdt.) Act. (XLVII of 1973), S.2 
7Added by Act XLVIII of 1973, Pub in Gaz of Pakistan Ext., Part I, dt. 19-06-1933 [PLD 1973 Cent. St. P. 528] 
10. Married women.– (1) any woman who by reason of her marriage to a 
8
[British 
subject] before the first day of January, 1949, has acquired the status of a British 
subject shall, if her husband becomes a citizen of Pakistan, be a citizen of Pakistan. 
(2) Subject to the provisions of sub -section (1) and subsection (4) a 
woman who has been married to a citizen of Pakistan or to a person who but for his 
death would have been a citizen of Pakistan under section 3, 4 or 5 shall be entitled, 
on making application therefore to the Federal Government in the prescribed 
manner, add, if she is an alien, on obtaining a certificate of domicile and taking the 
oath of allegiance in the form set out  in the Schedule to this Act, to be registered as 
a citizen of Pakistan whether or not she has completed twenty -one years of her age 
and is of full capacity. 
(3) Subject as aforesaid, a woman who has been married to a person who, 
but for his death, could h ave been a citizen of Pakistan under the provisions of sub -
section (1) of section 6 (whether the migrated is provided in that sub -section or is 
deemed under the proviso to section 7 to have so migrated) shall be entitled as 
provided in sub -section (2) subj ect further, if she is an alien, to her obtaining the 
certificate and taken the oath therein mentioned. 
(4) A person who has ceased to be citizen of Pakistan under section 14 or 
who has been deprived of citizenship of Pakistan under this Act shall not be e ntitled 
to be registered as a citizen thereof under this section but may be s registered with 
the previous consent of the Federal Government. 
11. Registration of minors.– (1) The Federal Government may, upon application 
to it in this behalf made in the prescribed manner, by a parent or guardian of a minor 
child of a citizen of Pakistan, register the child as a citizen of Pakistan. 
(2) The Federal Government may in such circumstances as it thinks fit, 
register any minor, as a citizen of Pakistan. 
12. Citizenship by registration to begin on date of registration .– Any person 
registered as a citizen of Pakistan shall be such a citizen from the date of his 
registration. 
13. Citizenship by incorporation of territory.– lf any territory becomes a part of 
Pakistan the 
9
[President] may, by order, specify the persons who shall be citizens of 
Pakistan by reason of their connection with that territory : and those person shall be 
citizens of Pakistan from such date and upon conditions, if any, as may be specified 
in the order. 
14. Dual citizenship or nationality not permitted .– (1) Subject to the provisions 
of this section if any person is a citizen of Pakistan under the provisions of this Act, 
and is at the same time a citizen or national of any other country he shall, unl ess he 
makes a declaration according to the laws of that other country renouncing his status 
as citizen or national thereof, cease to be a citizen of Pakistan. 
                                                 
8Subs, by the Pakistan Citizenship (Amdt) Act, 1952 (V of 1952) S. 6, for “Commonwealth Citizen.” 
9Subs. by AO 1961 Act, w, for “Governor-General “ w.e.f 23rd March 1956) 
10
(IA) Nothing in sub -section (1) applies to a person who has not attained 
twenty-one years of his age: 
(2) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall apply to any person who is a subject of 
an Acceding State so far as concerns his being a subject of that State. 
11
(3) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall apply, or shall be deemed ever to have 
applied at any stage, t o a person who being, or having at any time been, a citizen of 
Pakistan, is also the citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies or of such other 
country as the Federal Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, 
specify in this behalf. 
(4) Nothing in sub -section (1) shall apply to a female citizen of Pakistan 
who is married to a person who is not a citizen of Pakistan. 
12
[14-A. Renunciation of citizenship .– (1) If any citizen of Pakistan residing outside 
Pakistan, who is not a minor and:– 
(a) is also a citizen or national of another country, or 
(b) has been given by the competent authority of another country any valid 
document assuring him of the grant of the citizenship or nationality of 
that other country upon renouncing his citizenship of Paki stan, makes 
in the prescribed manner a declaration renouncing his citizenship of 
Pakistan, the declaration shall be registered by the prescribed 
authority; and upon such registration that person shall cease to be a 
citizen of Pakistan: 
Provided that, if an y such declaration is made during any war in which 
Pakistan may be engaged, registration thereof shall be withheld until the Federal 
Government otherwise directs. 
(2) Where a male person ceases to be a citizen of Pakistan under 
subsection (1)– 
(a) Every such minor child of that person as is residing outside Pakistan 
shall thereupon ease to be a citizen of Pakistan: 
Provided that any such child may, within one year of his completing the age of 
twenty-one years, make a declaration that he wishes to resume the  citizenship of 
Pakistan and shall upon the making of such declaration become a citizen of 
Pakistan; and 
(b) Every such minor child of that person as is residing in Pakistan shall 
continue to be a citizen of Pakistan. 
13
[14-B.Certain persons to be citizens of Pakistan .– A person who being a subject 
of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, has migrated to Pakistan with the intention of 
residing therein until such time as the relationship between Pakistan and that State is 
finally determined, shall, without prejudice to his status as such subject, be a citizen 
of Pakistan. 
                                                 
10Sub section ; A insent., ibid 
11Added by Act XVII of 1972 Pub. In Gaz fo Pakistan Extd., Part I, dt 25 Sep, 1972 [PLD 1973 Cent v St. P, Li] 
12Inserted by Act XVII of 1972 Pub in Gaz of Pakistan Extd., Part I dt. 25th Sep, 1972 [PLD 1973 cent. St. P.11) 
13Inst. By Act XXXIX of 1973 [PLD 1973 cent. St. P 484] 
15. Persons becoming citizens to have the status of Commonwealth 
citizens.– Every person becoming a citizen of Pakistan under this Act shall have the 
status of a Commonwealth citizen. 
16. Deprivation of citizenship .– (1) a citizen of Pakistan shall cease to be a 
citizen of Pakistan if he is deprived of t hat citizenship by an order under the next 
following subsections. 
(2) Subject to the provisions of this section the Federal Government may 
by order deprive any such citizen of his citizenship if it is satisfied that he obtained 
his certificate of domicile or certificate of naturalization under the Naturalization Act, 
1926 by means of fraud, false representation or the concealment of any material 
fact, or if his certificate of naturalization is revoked. 
(3) Subject to the provisions of this section the Feder al Government may 
by order deprive any person who is a citizen of Pakistan by naturalization of his 
citizenship of Pakistan if it is satisfied that the citizen:– 
(a) Has shown himself by any act or speech to be disloyal or disaffected to 
the Constitution of Pakistan; 
(b) has, during a war in which Pakistan is or has been engaged, unlawfully 
traded or communicated with the enemy or engaged in or associated 
with any business that was to his knowledge carried on in such a 
manner as to assist the enemy in that war; or 
(c) Has within five years of being naturalized been sentenced in any 
country to imprisonment for a term of not less than twelve months. 
(4) The Federal Government may on an application being made or on its 
own motion by order deprive any citizen of  Pakistan of his citizenship if it is satisfied 
that he has been ordinarily resident in a country outside Pakistan for a continuous 
period of seven years beginning not earlier than the commencement of this Act and 
during that period has neither:– 
(i) been at any time in the service of any Government in Pakistan or of an 
International Organization of which Pakistan has, at any time during 
that period been a member; or 
(ii) registered annually in the prescribed manner at a Pakistan Consulate 
or Mission or in a country where is no Pakistan Consulate or Mission at 
the  
Prescribed Consulate or Mission or at a Pakistan Consulate or Mission 
in a country to the country of his residence his intention to retain 
Pakistan citizenship. 
(5) The Federal Government shall not make an order depriving a person of 
citizenship under this section unless it is satisfied that it is in the public interest that 
the person should not continue to be a citizen of Pakistan. 
(6) Before making an order under this section the Federal Governm ent 
shall give the person against whom it is proposed to make the order notice in writing 
informing him of the grounds on which it is proposed to make order and calling upon 
him to show cause why it should not be made. 
(7) If it is proposed to make the ord er on any of the grounds specified in 
sub-sections (2) and (3) of this section and the person against whom it is proposed 
to make the order applies in the prescribed manner for an inquiry, the Federal 
Government shall, and in any other case may, refer the case to a committee of 
inquiry consisting of a Chairman, being a person possessing judicial experience, 
appointed by the Federal Government and of such other members appointed by the 
Federal Government as it thinks proper. 
14
16-A. Certain persons to lose an d others to retain citizenship .– (1) All persons 
who, at any time before the sixteenth day of December 1971, were citizens of 
Pakistan domiciled in the territories which before the said day constituted the 
Province of East Pakistan and who– 
(i) Were residing in those territories on that day and are residing therein 
since that day voluntarily or otherwise shall cease to be citizens of 
Pakistan; 
(ii) Were residing in Pakistan on that day but after that day voluntarily 
migrate to those territories shall cease to be citizens of Pakistan; 
(iii) Were residing in Pakistan on 'that - day and are voluntarily residing 
therein service that day shall continue to be citizens of Pakistan; 
(iv) Were residing in those territories on that day but voluntarily came to 
Pakistan after that day with the approval of the Federal Government 
shall continue to be citizens of Pakistan: 
Provided that any person referred to in clause ( I) whose repatriation to 
Pakistan has been agreed to by the Federal Government and who have, not been so 
repatriated before th e commencement of Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) 
Ordinance, 1978, shall continue to be citizens of Pakistan. 
(2) Any person who, at any time before the sixteenth day of December 
1971, was a citizen of Pakistan domiciled in the territories which before th e said day 
constituted the Province of East Pakistan and who being under the protection of 
Pakistan passport, was on that day, or is residing in any country beyond those 
territories shall not be deemed to be a citizen of Pakistan unless, upon an application 
made by him to the Federal Government in this behalf the Federal Government has 
granted , him a certificate that at the date of the certificate he is a citizen of Pakistan. 
17. Certificate of domicile .– The Federal Government may upon an application 
being made to it in the prescribed manner containing the prescribed particulars grant 
a certificate of domicile to any person in respect of whom it is satisfied that he has 
ordinarily  
Resided in-Pakistan for a period of not less than one year immediat ely before 
the making of the application and has acquired a domicile therein. 
18. Delegation of persons .– The Federal Government may, by order notified in 
the official Gazette, direct that any power conferred upon it or duly imposed on it by 
this Act shall, in suc h circumstances, and under such conditions, if any, as may be 
                                                 
14Inserted vide No. F 24 (1) 78, Pub in Gaz of Pakistan Extd. Pt I dt 18th march 1978. [PLD 1978 Cent. St P 74] 
specified in the direction, be exercised or discharged by such authority or officer as 
may be specified. 
19. Cases of doubt as to citizenship.– (1) Where a person with respect to show 
citizenship a doubt, exists, whether on a question of law or fact makes application in 
that behalf to the Federal Government, the Federal Government may grant him a 
certificate that at the date of the certificate he is a citizen of Pakistan. 
(2) The certificate, unless it is proved to have been obtained by fraud false 
representation or concealment of any material fact, shall be conclusive evidence of 
the fact recorded in it. 
20. Acquisition of Pakistan citizenship by citizens of Commonwealth' 
countries.– The Federal Government may upon such terms and conditions as it 
may be general or special order specify register a Commonwealth citizen or a British 
protected person as a citizen of Pakistan. 
21. Penalties.– Any person who in order to obtain or prevent the doing of 
anything under the Act makes any statement or furnishes any information which is 
false in any material particular and which he knows or has reasonable cause to 
believe to be false, or does not believe to be true, shall be deemed to have 
committed an offence punishable under section 177 of the Pakistan Penal Code. 
22. Interpretation.– (1) For the purposes of this Act a person born abroad a 
registered ship or aircraft, or aboard an unregistered ship or aircraft of the 
Government of any country shall be deemed t o have been born in the place in which 
the ship or aircraft was registered or as the case may be in that country. 
(2) Any reference in this Act to the status or description of the father of a 
person at the time of that person's birth shall, in relation to a person born after the 
death of his father be construed as a reference to the status or description of father 
at the time of the father's death; and where the death occurred before, and the birth 
occurs after the commencement of this Act, the status or de scription which would 
have been applicable to the father had he died after the commencement of this Act 
shall be deemed to be the status or description applicable to him at the time of his 
death, 
23. Rules.– (1) The Federal Government may frame rules for c arrying into eff ect 
the provisions of this Act. 
(2) No rules framed under this Act shall have effect unless published in the 
official Gazette.