Pakistan Senate backs retaining blue passports for former lawmakers — Dawn
Pakistan’s Senate has approved a bill that would allow former members of parliament to retain and use a free official blue passport, even if they did not complete a full term in the National Assembly or the Senate. As Dawn reports, the document must still be passed by the National Assembly.
The amendment provides for adding a new Section 3-A to the Passports Act of 1974. It will apply to former parliamentarians who took the oath as members of the National Assembly or the Senate, including those who held office for the remainder of another parliamentarian’s term. The right will also apply to lawmakers who left office before completing the five-year term in the National Assembly or the six-year term in the Senate.
Rules for former parliamentarians
Currently, under the 2021 passport rules, blue passports are issued to former parliamentarians who were members of either chamber for at least one term. The explanatory note to the bill states that the changes are intended to align their privileges with those available to other high-ranking officials and ensure equal treatment for those who served the state at the highest level.
Blue official passports in Pakistan are issued to key officials of constitutional bodies, the government and the judiciary, senior civil servants, and eligible members of their families. Holders of these documents can travel visa-free to 55 countries, including 22 European countries.
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Benefit for families was not supported
During the same session, a bill to extend eligibility for blue passports to spouses and dependent children under the age of 28 of former members of parliament was withdrawn after objections from representatives of government forces in the Senate. In July, the relevant Senate committee supported the initiative, which drew criticism.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said that after remarks from European countries and Canada, the number of blue passports issued in the country was reduced from 75,000 to 45,000. According to him, about 30,000 unnecessary or inactive passports were cancelled. He also said that the government does not object to issuing the documents to parliamentarians, but has reservations about extending this right to their families.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar stressed that blue passports must be regulated because they are intended for the performance of official duties. He also called for abolishing the six-year term requirement for senators so that the rules for members of the Senate and the National Assembly are the same.
