ISLAMABAD: The Government of Pakistan has issued a diplomatic passport to former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif for a period of five years.
Sources said that after the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as per his entitlement, the diplomatic passport was issued to the former prime minister, who is currently in London.
The PML-N Quaid had already been issued a normal passport previously by the incumbent government.
According to the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, diplomatic passports are issued to the dignitaries of the State, Diplomats, and other entitled categories in pursuance of Para-45 of Part-I of Passport and Visa Manual, 2006.
Approval of Diplomatic Passports is the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Machine Readable Diplomatic Passports shall be processed and issued by Directorate General of Immigration & Passports (Headquarters), Islamabad based on authorization issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” reads the official website of Directorate General of Immigration and Passports.
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According to Para-45 of Part-I; Grant of diplomatic passports shall strictly be confined to the following persons: 1. The President of Pakistan 2. The Prime Minister of Pakistan 3. The Chairman of Senate 4. The Speaker of the National Assembly 5. The Chief Justice of Pakistan 6. The governors of provinces 7. The chief ministers of provinces 8. The ministers (including ministers of state of the federal government) 9. The Attorney General of Pakistan 10. i. ex-presidents and ex-prime ministers. ii. spouse and dependent children of ex-prime ministers. 11. ex-Chairman of Senate and ex-Speaker of National Assembly 12. Special Assistants to the Prime Ministers, and 13. the Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Earlier on April 23, 2022, the federal government issued an ordinary passport to Nawaz Sharif for a period of 10 years.
The previous PTI government had refused to renew Nawaz Sharif’s passport after it was expired in February 2021, besides withdrawing his entitlement as the former premier to the diplomatic passport.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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