ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior has approved a bill proposing the issuance of blue (diplomatic) passports to members of the Senate, along with a recommendation to ease existing eligibility conditions.
The bill suggests abolishing the current requirement that senators must complete six years in office before becoming eligible for a blue passport. Instead, lawmakers proposed that senators who serve at least three years should qualify for the privilege.
During the meeting, committee chairman Faisal Saleem expressed displeasure over the absence of the Director General of Passports and sought an explanation for his non-attendance.
The bill’s proposer, Senator Abdul Qadir, argued that a three-year tenure in the Senate should be sufficient for entitlement to a blue passport, emphasizing the need to extend facilities to elected representatives.
However, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry raised concerns about the misuse of such passports. He noted that blue passports often allow visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to several countries, which has led to instances of abuse.
Highlighting a recent case, the minister referred to an incident where a lawmaker’s son allegedly traveled abroad on a blue passport and later sought political asylum, causing embarrassment for the country. He warned that such misuse affects Pakistan’s credibility and complicates negotiations with other countries on visa facilitation agreements.
Chaudhry further stated that authorities have already reduced the number of diplomatic and official passports issued, adding that strict controls are necessary to prevent misuse. He stressed that blue passports should only be granted where genuinely required.
The committee concluded by approving the bill while acknowledging the need for safeguards to ensure responsible use of diplomatic privileges.
