U.K. National Archives

Conclusions of a meeting of the Cabinet held at 10 Downing Street, on Thursday, 15 June, 1972 at 10.30 a.m.

Attendees: E Heath; R Maudling; Hailsham; W Whitelaw; R Carr; G Rippon; G Campbell; J Prior; A Douglas-Home; A Barber; Carrington; K Joseph; M Thatcher; P Thomas; J Davies; Aberdare; F Pym.

The Cabinet had before them a memorandum by the Secretaries of State for the Home Department and for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (CP (72) 58) on the status of citizens of Pakistan and people belonging to Bangladesh.

The Home Secretary said that the Commonwealth citizenship of Pakistani citizens was currently governed by the British Nationality Act, 1948. Those individuals who belonged to Bangladesh (which was now a member of the Commonwealth but had as yet no domestic nationality law) were Commonwealth citizens only by virtue of their previous Pakistani citizenship; and, since legislation in Pakistan would no doubt be enacted sooner or later to deprive them of that citizenship, they would lose their Commonwealth citizenship also. In order to protect them against this risk it was desirable now to prepare a short Bill to confer Commonwealth citizenship on individuals belonging to Bangladesh. In the longer term it would be necessary also to prepare legislation to take account of the decision of Pakistan, assuming that it proved definitive, to leave the Commonwealth. This would be a very complex measure; and its preparation might be left to the following Parliamentary Session.

In discussion there was general agreement that the presentation of a Bill to deal with the consequences of the withdrawal of Pakistan from the Commonwealth should not be hurried. It would be difficult to accommodate such a Bill in the present Session in view of the heavy programme of work to which Parliament was already committed; and over-hasty action to deprive Pakistani citizens of privileges which they had hitherto enjoyed as Commonwealth citizens would be unpopular in many quarters and would be liable to provoke an unwelcome revival of public discussion of immigration policy. Although Pakistani recognition of Bangladesh would probably have the effect of withdrawing Pakistani citizenship from those who belonged to Bangladesh, there were currently no indications that the Government of Pakistan intended to introduce legislation for this purpose at an early date.

The Prime Minister, summing up the discussion, said that the Cabinet agreed that legislation should now be prepared for introduction if the Government of Pakistan withdrew Pakistani citizenship from indivduals who belonged to Bangladesh but that, unless developments made earlier action essential, this Bill should not be presented to Parliament in the current Session. The Cabinet also agreed that legislation to deal with the consequences of Pakistan's withdrawal from the Commonwealth would not be required during the current Session.

The Cabinet—
(1) Took note, with approval, of the Prime Minister's summing up of their discussion.
(2) Invited the Home Secretary to arrange for the preparation of legislation accordingly.
Cabinet Office
15 June, 1972.