Edward Snowden is an American born US citizen, bound by same oath of citizenship, which a naturalized citizen has to take, an oath that every Pakistani origin citizen has to pledge when he chooses to take a US, Canadian, or British passport. As an American citizen, enjoying rights, privileges and welfare perks of citizenship, he was bound to serve and protect national security interests of that country, determined by the establishment. The former head of USA National Security Agency, Mr Michael V Hayden has stated that the idea that countries do not spy on each other was naive. US Secretary of State John Kerry insists that collection of information was not unusual.America is a super power, and therefore in its view it must have access to inner secrets and policies of the world’s competing nations. It is foolish to assume that countries which are close allies do not spy on each other. The American establishment does not allow its citizens, who have access to sensitive information, to indulge in luxury of listening to their conscience, while still enjoying privileges of citizenship. It is either naïve of Pakistan security apparatus, or an intentional mistake to give important assignments in key financial institutions, planning division, diplomatic services, national airline, or jobs in civil bureaucracy etc to those who hold foreign nationalities. The Oath of Citizenship, in the view of US security apparatus, is an irrevocable act, which does not allow a citizen to make decisions based on his conscience, even if such acts may seem immoral, discriminatory and against the established fundamental rights of others, who are not citizens of USA. This is precisely the reason why a US Passport holder, cannot pledge an oath of loyalty to another country, or its laws, for it expects its citizens to uphold national interests of US alone. Every US, British, Canadian etc passport holder has to serve the interests of these countries, which includes collecting information for them and following their dictates, if and when called upon to do so.MALIK TARIQ ALI, Lahore, July 4.