The Senate on Monday passed a bill that sought to allow former lawmakers to have blue passports even if they had not served a full term in the National Assembly (NA) or Senate.
In the same sitting, the House withdrew a bill seeking to allow the issuance of blue passports to dependent children under the age of 28 of ex-members of Parliament.
Official blue passports are issued to key constitutional, government and judicial office holders, senior bureaucrats and their eligible dependents, allowing them visa-free entry to 55 countries, including 22 European countries.
The bills pertaining to the blue passport were moved by Senator Abdul Qadir today.
Of them, the House passed the amendment inserting a new Section 3-A in the Passports Act, 1974, which states that “a retired parliamentarian who has taken oath as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) or the Senate, whether for a full term or for the remainder of the term of another member, shall, on such terms and conditions as may be prescribed, be entitled to retain and use the gratis official (blue) passport issued to him or her after ceasing to hold office”.
The amendment also covers lawmakers who leave office before completing five years as an MNA or six years as a senator.
At present, blue passports are issued to those ex-parliamentarians who remained a member of either House for at least one term, according to the Passport Rules 2021.
The statement of objects and reasons of the bill approved by the Senate states that the amendment “brings parity with the privileges available to other high-ranking officials and ensures uniform treatment of persons who have served the state at the highest level”.