Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry has assured that blue passports will be issued strictly for official purposes and for limited durations.
The proposed Members of Parliament Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2026, approved by a Senate committee on July 10, would allow dependent children under the age of 28 of former lawmakers to obtain blue passports. If enacted, the legislation would place ex-parliamentarians on par with retired Grade-22 civil servants, whose dependent children are already entitled to the same facility.
According to the media reports, the minister has clarified that he had expressed reservations during the committee meeting. He said he had urged the Senate Standing Committee on Interior to consult the federal cabinet and other stakeholders before proceeding, but the committee approved the bill despite his objections.
Chaudhry announced that all future applications for blue passports would require prior approval from the Interior Ministry. He said every case would be reviewed by the interior secretary and, where necessary, referred to the interior minister before a decision is made.
The minister acknowledged that Pakistan currently has a large number of blue passport holders, describing the situation as a hurdle to securing visa waiver agreements with other countries. He said the government’s priority is to expand visa-free travel arrangements for Pakistani officials.
According to Chaudhry, the number of blue passports issued has already been reduced from nearly 70,000 to fewer than 50,000, and the government plans to cut the figure by another 15 to 20 per cent.
He added that Pakistan is in advanced discussions with Saudi Arabia on a visa exemption agreement for blue passport holders, while similar negotiations are also underway with Italy and several other countries.
Commenting on the proposed legislation, Chaudhry said the final decision on whether to support or oppose the bill rests with the country’s political leadership. However, he reiterated that the proposal conflicts with the government’s policy of reducing the number of official passports in circulation.
He further suggested that if the objective is to provide equal treatment to former lawmakers and retired Grade-22 officers, a more appropriate solution would be to amend the law and withdraw the same privilege currently available to retired bureaucrats’ dependent children.
