The Senate on Monday unanimously passed the Passport Amendment Bill 2026, which ends the automatic issuance of blue passports to children of government officials. The bill amends the Passports Act 1974.
Senator Abdul Qadir moved the bill, and the House approved it after an extended debate on blue passport eligibility and the treatment of parliamentarians by government departments. The Directorate General of Immigration & Passports issues blue passports as Official (Gratis) Passports to designated government functionaries, state representatives and authorized individuals for official travel.
Qadir said children of Grade-21 officers are eligible for blue passports, and National Assembly members receive the facility after election. He demanded the same principle for senators, saying either the passports for government employees should be discontinued or senators should receive the facility.
Senator Abid Sher Ali questioned restrictions allegedly imposed on parliamentarians by the Ministry of Interior and the passport directorate. He said the interior secretary told a Senate committee that a no-objection certificate (NOC) was required, while maintaining that he was answerable to the minister, not parliamentarians. Ali said passport authorities told him they had received instructions from the Interior Ministry not to entertain certain requests.
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said public representatives are in parliament to serve the people and should not face unnecessary restrictions.
Senator Dilawar Khan called for an inquiry into the issuance of about 30,000 blue passports. He said those responsible should be held accountable if any were issued to ineligible persons, and urged the government to examine the period of issuance and act against those found responsible for irregularities.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry told the Senate that blue passport issuance could affect Pakistan’s global passport ranking and its efforts to secure visa-free travel. He said the government has cut the number of blue passports by 30,000, from about 75,000 to 45,000, and that none of the cancelled passports belonged to political representatives.
Chaudhry said Pakistan has sought visa-free and other travel facilities with European, Gulf and other countries over the past 18 to 24 months. He added that the number of blue passport holders also came up in talks with Canada and other countries and could create difficulties.
