The Senate approved a bill to allow former lawmakers to keep official blue passports even if they only served part of a parliamentary term. Senator Abdul Qadir moved the legislation, which proposes adding a new Section 3-A to the Passports Act, 1974.
The amendment covers former members of the Senate and the National Assembly who took the oath of office but departed before completing a full term. Current rules require senators to finish their six-year terms to qualify for the documents, while National Assembly members become eligible immediately after taking the oath.
Under the Passport Rules 2021, former parliamentarians currently qualify for the passports only if they served at least one full term in either House. The bill must now clear the National Assembly before it can become law.
A separate proposal to extend blue passport privileges to dependent children under 28 years old was withdrawn by the Senate. The Senate committee had previously approved the proposal for family blue passports in July.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry stated steps would be taken to ensure documents were used for only official duties abroad. Chaudhry said the number of official blue passports issued in Pakistan fell from 75,000 to 45,000.
Around 30,000 unnecessary or inactive passports were cancelled, according to Chaudhry. Chaudhry said the government will soon introduce legislation to withdraw the blue-passport facility available to children of retired bureaucrats.
“Security and dignity of passport is a matter of the dignity of people of Pakistan,” Chaudhry said. PML-N Senator Abid Sher Ali criticised the requirement for parliamentarians to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the interior ministry.
“Are we dacoits or terrorists that we need NOCs?” Abid Sher Ali said. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said, “Let children make their own careers; respect is not built through blue passports.”
The Senate saw a confrontation over the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The president imposed emergency and governor's rule under Articles 232 and 234 of the Constitution.
Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said, “You robbed the people’s votes. Your own minister said the system has collapsed.” Allama Raja Nasir Abbas also said, “You snatched the mandate from Bengalis, and they separated. You have still not learned.”
Allama Raja Nasir Abbas called for a parliamentary briefing on Yemen. Parliament passed a resolution in 2015 against Pakistan becoming part of the conflict in Yemen.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi stated the country’s governance system required a reset in July. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said, “All steps have been taken in the interest of peace, stability and national interest.”
