Pakistan rethinks blue passport privileges

Pakistan’s government is seeking to tighten oversight of official blue passports after a proposal to extend the travel document to the dependent children of former lawmakers triggered criticism over the expansion of state privileges.

The controversy has placed the spotlight on who should qualify for official passports and whether the government can justify widening eligibility while simultaneously trying to reduce the number of people carrying the document.

Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said future applications for blue passports would face stricter scrutiny and would be approved only after clearance by the interior ministry, Dawn reported. In some cases, he said, applications would also require the approval of the interior minister.

“Our focus is on having agreements for visa-free entry with as many countries as possible,” Chaudhry said, arguing that Pakistan’s large number of blue passport holders has become “a major impediment” to negotiating visa-waiver agreements with other countries.

The debate centres on the Members of Parliament Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which was approved by a Senate committee earlier this month. The proposal would allow dependent children under the age of 28 of former members of parliament to receive official blue passports, bringing them into line with the families of retired Grade-22 civil servants, who already enjoy the same entitlement.

Although a Senate statement indicated Chaudhry had agreed to the bill during committee proceedings, the minister later said he had expressed reservations and insisted the proposal should first have been discussed by the federal cabinet and other stakeholders.

Speaking to Dawn, Chaudhry said the legislation runs counter to the government’s efforts to reduce the number of official passport holders. He said the number had already fallen from about 70,000 to fewer than 50,000 and the government planned to cut it by another 15 to 20 per cent.

He also suggested that, rather than extending the benefit to former lawmakers’ families, parliament could instead consider removing the same privilege from retired senior bureaucrats.

The minister said the political leadership would ultimately decide whether to support the legislation.

The proposal has also drawn opposition from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senator Barrister Ali Zafar, who argued that official passports should be reserved for those performing genuine state functions.

“It is meant to facilitate official diplomatic responsibilities, not to serve as a status symbol or a lifelong entitlement,” Zafar said.

He added that public office “should be about serving the people, not creating or expanding privileges for public representatives and their families”, and said his party would oppose the proposal if it returns to the Senate.

The issue carries wider diplomatic implications.

Pakistan grants visa-free or visa-on-arrival access for official blue passport holders to 55 countries under bilateral agreements designed to facilitate government travel. Those arrangements are intended primarily for official visits, diplomatic missions and multilateral engagements.

According to Chaudhry, Islamabad is currently in advanced talks with Saudi Arabia on expanding visa exemptions for official passport holders, while discussions are also under way with countries including Italy.

Blue passports are currently issued to a broad range of senior public officials, including ministers, lawmakers, judges, top civil servants, military officers and certain government employees, as well as eligible family members in many cases.

The latest proposal has therefore reignited a broader debate over whether official passports should remain a functional diplomatic tool or evolve into an expanding privilege for political and bureaucratic elites.