The Senate on Monday unanimously passed the blue passport bill to amend the Passports Act 1974, ending the automatic issuance of blue passports to children of government officials.
The upper house approved the Passport Amendment Bill 2026, moved by Senator Abdul Qadir, after an extended debate over eligibility criteria for blue passports and the treatment of parliamentarians by government departments.
Lawmakers also called for an investigation into the cancellation of around 30,000 such passports.
Blue passport bill targets automatic issuance
The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports issues the blue passport in Pakistan as an Official (Gratis) Passport. It goes to designated government functionaries, state representatives and authorised individuals for official state travel.
During the debate, Abdul Qadir said children of Grade-21 government officers were eligible for blue passports, while members of the National Assembly also received the facility after being elected.
“We want the same principle to apply to senators. Either the blue passports issued to government employees should also be discontinued or senators should be given the same facility,” he said.
Senator Abid Sher Ali questioned restrictions allegedly imposed on parliamentarians by officials of the Interior Ministry and the passport directorate. He said the interior secretary had told a Senate committee that a no-objection certificate was required for certain requests, while also maintaining that he was answerable to the minister rather than to parliamentarians.
Ali said he had personally approached the passport authorities but was told the directorate had received instructions from the Interior Ministry not to entertain certain requests. He questioned whether a senator needed an NOC from a government department to exercise official privileges.
Responding to the concerns, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said public representatives were in parliament to serve the people and no one should face unnecessary restrictions.
Probe demanded into 30,000 passports
Senator Dilawar Khan called for an inquiry into the issuance of approximately 30,000 blue passports. He said the authorities responsible for issuing them should be held accountable if any had gone to ineligible individuals.
He urged the government to investigate the period during which the passports were issued and take action against those found responsible for irregularities.
Minister of State for Interior Senator Talal Chaudhry told the Senate that the issuance of blue passports could affect Pakistan’s global passport ranking and its efforts to secure visa-free travel arrangements with other countries.
He said the government had reduced 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 had been seeking visa-free travel and other facilities with European, Gulf and other countries over the past 18 to 24 months. The number of blue passport holders also came under discussion during talks with Canada and other countries and could create difficulties, he added.
The development comes a day after reports that senators are to get lifetime blue passports, a contrast that fuelled the debate over who should hold the official travel document.
The government recently announced the fee schedule for e-passports, as the passport regime undergoes broader reform.
What is a blue passport?
It is Pakistan’s Official (Gratis) Passport, issued by the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports to government functionaries and state representatives for official travel abroad.
Why is the Senate restricting them?
Lawmakers say automatic issuance to officials’ children has inflated the number of holders to unsustainable levels. The government says the inflated count hurts Pakistan’s passport ranking and visa-free negotiations.
What happens next?
The bill amends the Passports Act 1974 and, once through the remaining legislative stages, will end automatic blue passport issuance to children of government officials.
Ordinary citizens can track their passport applications online, a separate facility from the official blue passport regime.
*Source: The Express Tribune*
