Senate panel approves bill on blue passports

Minister raises concerns regarding misuse of special passports

ISLAMABAD:

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior on Wednesday approved a bill related to the issuance of blue passports to senators, amid a heated discussion over alleged misuse of official passports and asylum cases abroad.

During the committee meeting, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry raised concerns regarding the misuse of blue passports, stating that a son of MNA Iqbal Afridi had travelled to Europe on a blue passport before later reaching Italy and seeking asylum there.

"He surrendered the blue passport there, which caused embarrassment for Pakistan," Talal Chaudhry told the committee, adding that such incidents negatively affect Pakistan's international standing.

The minister said the government had tightened rules regarding diplomatic and official passports and significantly reduced their numbers.

He noted that whenever Pakistan discusses visa-free arrangements or signs memorandums of understanding (MoU) with other countries, questions are raised about the number of blue passports issued by Pakistan.

"Blue passports are often misused. Other countries become reluctant to sign MoUs with us because of such cases," he said. Committee members sought details about the total number of blue passports issued over the past decade.

Senator Talha Mahmood called for complete records of all individuals who had been issued blue passports. Senator Abdul Qadir claimed that around 60,000 people currently possess blue passports, though Talal Chaudhry maintained that the number had now been reduced considerably.

Some members argued that senators who complete at least three years should be entitled to blue passports. The committee chairman observed that parliamentarians should be facilitated in this regard. The committee later approved the bill concerning the issuance of blue passports to senators.