ABSTRACT
Special arrangements were made to allow Pakistanis to keep these rights after 1972 (when Pakistan left the Commonwealth) as long as they had resident status before 1973. Moreover, until 1983 jus soli (the principle that nationality is based on one's place of birth) automatically granted British nationality to anyone born on UK territory. Since the majority of Muslims come from the Commonwealth they therefore enjoyed the same civil and political rights as British nationals: the right to vote in all elections, the right to stand as candidate in local and general elections, the right to serve in a jury and to work in the civil service. In short, all legal political activities are open to them without restriction.
