[AALee]

ISLAMABAD: According to an official letter from the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) in response to a request fromThe Express Tribune, Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik was supposed to submit a £385 fee along with his application for renouncing his UK citizenship.

However, Malik, in his affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court (SC) last month, mentioned he paid a £229 fee.
The communication with the British home office revealed that the applicant did not pay the right fee for renunciation of his UK citizenship.
On June 2, The Express Tribune filed a request to UKBA under the UK’s Freedom of Information Law, to which the agency responded on July 4.
However, the agency refused to clarify the exact status of Malik’s citizenship – an issue which led to the suspension of his Senate membership and subsequent loss of his portfolio as a federal minister – citing different clauses in the law.
“We neither confirm nor deny whether we hold the information requested by virtue of Section 40(5)(a) and (b)(ii) (personal information),” UKBA replied in response to an email regarding the status of the former interior minister’s citizenship. “This would be considered personal information as defined in the Data Protection Act 1998 and therefore confirming or denying would be considered neither fair nor lawful,” added the reply by the agency’s Freedom of Information Act Policy Team. The reply further stated that The Express Tribune’s request “has been handled as a request for information under the UKBA Freedom of Information Act 2000.”
“These [Section 40(5)] sections of the Act absolve us from the requirement to say whether or not we hold information.” Section 40 is an absolute exemption and does not require a Public Interest Test (PIT), the UKBA said. “This response should not be taken as conclusive evidence that the information you have requested is or is not held by the Home Office,” the reply further clarified.
Honorary consul general of Niger
In a related development, Malik, who is now the senior adviser to the prime minister on interior affairs, told The Express Tribune in a text message that he has also resigned as the honorary consul general of Niger in the UK. He was previously also criticised for enjoying the post.
“I resigned as Hon. Council (Consul) General of Niger… It’s not illegal to be Hon Concil (Consul) Gen. Many Pakistan (Pakistanis) are Hon CJ (Consul General). I’m not enjoying any portfolio of Hon CJ (Consul General),” read Malik’s text message, replete with typos, sent to The Express Tribune.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2012.