Pakistan tightens blue passport rules amid concerns over eligibility
State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry told the Senate Standing Committee on Interior that blue passports had previously been issued to people who were not eligible. He said the change aims to ensure the documents are given only to entitled individuals.
Questions raised over passport eligibility
Chaudhry said other countries often question Pakistan about the number of blue passports issued during talks on visa-free arrangements and memorandums of understanding. He added that a large number of these passports had been issued to bureaucrats in the past.
PML-N Senator Abid Sher Ali said passport officials had asked him for a no-objection certificate from the Interior Ministry when he applied for blue passports for his family. He questioned whether the rules had changed and whether parliamentarians now needed permission from another authority.
Passport rules and tinted windows discussed
Director General Immigration and Passports Chaudhry Muhammad Ali Randhawa said passports are issued to parliamentarians when they apply for their own travel documents. The committee chairman asked officials to present the rule under which permission from the Interior Ministry was being requested.
The committee also discussed the use of tinted windows in vehicles. Chairman Faisal Saleem Rehman said officials had not provided a relevant law when the committee asked for the legal basis.
Senator Naseema Ehsan said the government should explain what arrangements were available for people facing security threats if there was no law covering tinted windows. She said security concerns had kept her away from her home for five years and called for practical measures.
Arms licences and visa policy reviewed
Talal Chaudhry also discussed prohibited-bore arms licences, saying the Interior Ministry had previously functioned like an arms-licensing office. He said that during the past two years, such licences had been issued only to people who met the requirements.
The quota for prohibited-bore licences was increased from 2% to 5% for people in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The minister said around 100,000 arms licences were issued annually in the past, but the number has now been reduced by 30%.
A proposal is also being considered to increase the quota for Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to as much as 10%. Senator Talha Mahmood meanwhile suggested that businessmen and students should receive concessions in visa issuance.
The minister said Pakistan had issued around 100,000 visas when relations with Afghanistan were better. He said Afghan nationals had received visas under 18 categories and added that the matter was sensitive and should also be discussed with the Foreign Ministry.
Chaudhry alleged that some people had taken money to add Afghan nationals to family trees. He also linked Afghan nationals to attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Islamabad, as well as the killing of businessman Aamir Awan in the capital.
Senator Abid Sher Ali proposed issuing short-term visas to businessmen after strict security checks. The suggestion was aimed at balancing business activity with security concerns.
The tighter blue passport rules show that the government wants to limit official travel documents to eligible people. Reducing the issuance limit could also help address questions raised by other countries.
The wider discussion shows that passport policy, arms licences and visas are being reviewed with greater focus on eligibility and security. The challenge will be to apply the rules consistently while avoiding unnecessary hurdles for legitimate applicants.
Also read: Govt scheme offers 125,000 e-bikes to students with no down payment
Also read: Lahore launches e-challan system to curb littering, waste burning
