Minister tells Senate panel: Blue passport’s misuse compels govt to impose certain curbs
ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry on Wednesday said that misuse of blue passports had compelled the government to impose certain restrictions on their issuance.
The minister made these remarks during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control, chaired by Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman.
He remarked that the Interior Ministry had no objection to granting lifetime official passports to sitting members of the National Assembly as well as current and former Senators. However, he expressed reservations over extending the facility to MPs’ children up to the age of 28 due to reported cases of misuse.
Highlighting one such incident, Talal Chaudhry said the son of MNA Iqbal Afridi travelled to Europe after obtaining a blue passport and later sought political asylum in Italy, where he surrendered the passport to Italian authorities. He said the incident caused embarrassment for the government and tarnished the country’s image.
Senator Abdul Qadir said around 60,000 blue passports had been issued by the government, adding that the number of parliamentarians among the recipients was nominal, while bureaucrats, judges, and influential businessmen were the major beneficiaries.
The minister clarified that the number of blue passports had substantially reduced due to strict scrutiny.
The Senate panel emphasized strict action against misuse of official passports and unanimously approved the bill for the provision of official Blue passports to sitting and retired Senators.
The parliamentary body also considered the Islamabad Real Estate (Regulation and Development) (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and after detailed deliberations, approved the bill.
The committee also discussed the Islamabad Capital Territory Waterside Safety Bill, 2024. Concerns were raised regarding the committee’s mandate to consider the bill after the lapse of the stipulated time under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate. It was noted that delays in Senate elections had contributed to the delay in taking up the matter. The chairman of the committee directed that the matter be deferred until the relevant rule position is obtained.
The panel further considered a bill seeking an extension of the blue passport facility to Senators for a lifetime.
The Criminal Laws (Amendment) (Honour Killing Prevention) Bill was also taken up. At the request of the Ministry of Interior, consideration of the bill was deferred until opinions from the provinces are received.
The committee discussed the Islamabad Capital Territory Food Safety (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and observed that the weak implementation of laws was adversely affecting food quality assurance standards. It was informed that the subject falls under the domain of another Ministry, upon which the Chairman directed that the bill be referred to the relevant standing committee.
The sub-committee presented its report regarding the theft of 2,828 cartons of cigarettes from FBR godowns in Swabi and Mardan. The report highlighted serious irregularities within FBR, including alleged involvement of officials in multiple incidents. Concerns were also raised regarding the assets of certain officials reportedly beyond known sources of income. The committee took serious notice of smuggled Iranian petrol and the alleged sale of tax-exempt raw material before reaching designated exempted areas, resulting in significant tax evasion. The chairman of the committee directed FBR to place the names of non-cooperating officials on the Exit Control List (ECL) and ordered that arrests be made where necessary. The sub-committee was further directed to formulate new Terms of Reference (TORs), and its tenure was extended accordingly. The committee also condemned the defamation campaign against members of the committee. The committee reviewed the compliance report regarding recommendations on tinted vehicle glasses. The Minister of State for Interior informed members that responses from provinces are still awaited. The Chairman proposed increasing the fee for tinted glass permits from Rs 15,000 for three years to Rs 15,000 per year. It was further recommended that serving and former parliamentarians should be granted gratis permits for tinted glasses.
The committee also took serious notice of reports regarding the use of non-customs-paid and tampered vehicles by FBR officers. The Chairman directed submission of complete details, including names of officers using such vehicles, and suggested that officers wishing to retain such vehicles should first pay the applicable customs duties. Provincial authorities were also directed to submit records of non-customs-paid vehicles.
The committee also discussed the case of alleged drug peddler Anmol alias Pinky and directed the Anti-Narcotics Force authorities to interrogate the accused regarding suppliers and recipients of narcotics.
The committee also discussed reported abduction cases in Islamabad and reviewed the performance of the Safe City Project. The Minister of State for Interior informed the committee that despite an increase in crime incidents, overall crime statistics in the federal capital remain comparatively better. The committee was invited to visit the Safe City Project for a detailed briefing.
The committee also discussed the establishment of hostels and guest houses in residential sectors of Islamabad and urged Islamabad Traffic Police and relevant authorities to take strict action. The chairman directed that a detailed report on actions taken against illegal hostels and guest houses be submitted in the next meeting. He also directed the Inspector General of Police, Sindh, to ensure his presence in the upcoming session of the committee.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026