Blue Passports Cut to 49,000 From 74,000
Blue passports in Pakistan have been cut from 74,000 to 49,000, the director general of Immigration and Passports, Muhammad Ali Randhawa, disclosed on Wednesday. He shared the figure with Senate Deputy Chairman Syedaal Khan Nasar during a meeting in Islamabad.
Randhawa said the reduction was made in keeping with international obligations and administrative requirements. The cut removes about 25,000 official passports from circulation, a fall of roughly one-third.
What blue passports are
Blue passports are the official passports issued to government officials travelling on duty, including senators, members of the National Assembly, provincial ministers, judges of the Supreme Court and high courts, and government officers on official overseas assignments. They are distinct from the green ordinary passports held by citizens for personal travel, and they are marked as service passports on the data page.
That distinction is why the number matters. Official passports are a privilege tied to office, not a general travel document. A cut from 74,000 to 49,000 suggests a tighter check on who holds one, and for how long.
What the meeting covered
The meeting between Randhawa and Nasar covered the existing mechanism for issuing passports, the institutional performance of the passport authority, security features in the documents, and the facilities provided to the public.
The two sides also discussed a proposal to introduce passport issuance facilities through the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) in the near future. Officials said that step would further strengthen passport security and help improve the country’s ranking on travel document standards.
Nasar praised the government’s steps to improve the passport issuance system, promote modern technology and improve public facilitation. He called the performance of the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports and its reform efforts commendable, and he stressed the need to modernise the system in line with current requirements.
Faster, more transparent processing promised
Nasar said modern technology, digital systems and automation should be expanded at every stage of passport issuance, from submitting an application to delivering the document. Citizens, he said, should not face unnecessary delays, long waiting periods or administrative complications.
He added that an effective mechanism must be in place for the prompt resolution of complaints. Effective use of modern technology and improved administrative strategies, he said, could further strengthen public confidence in the institution.
That promise will be tested by ordinary applicants, who judge a passport system by waiting times and by whether their application moves without repeated visits. The blue passport cut is a separate step, aimed at officials, but it sits inside the same reform story: fewer privileged documents, and a system that is meant to work better for everyone else.
Other business at the meeting
Nasar also met tribal elders, lawyers, civil society representatives, students and other prominent personalities from different walks of life. Those meetings covered problems faced by the public and the prevailing political situation.
He briefed the delegations on government measures to promote economic growth, control inflation and provide relief to citizens. He cited the reduction in fuel prices as one such step and expressed the hope that it would have a knock-on effect on the prices of other commodities.
Feature Pakistan has followed passport reform before, including the plan for e-passport security chips to be produced at home, which would cut dependence on imported components. The blue passport cut is a different kind of reform, but it points in the same direction: tighter control over who holds an official document, and more of the system built and run at home. The figures in this report come from the Dawn report of Wednesday’s meeting.
Frequently asked questions
How many blue passports are there now?
The number of official, or blue, passports has been brought down to 49,000 from 74,000, according to the director general of Immigration and Passports.
Who holds a blue passport?
Blue passports are official passports for government officials travelling on duty, including senators, members of the National Assembly, provincial ministers, judges and government officers on official assignments abroad.
Why were the numbers cut?
The director general said the reduction was made in keeping with international obligations and administrative requirements. No further breakdown of whose passports were withdrawn was given.
Will Nadra issue passports?
The meeting discussed introducing passport issuance facilities through Nadra in the near future, as a step to strengthen passport security and improve the country’s ranking.
