A Pakistan’s senior Senate official has sought political asylum in Europe, causing a national embarrassment and complicating procedures for other legal applicants.
During an official visit, Haider Ali Sandrani, the Joint Secretary of the Senate Secretariat, was supposed to represent Pakistan at the 148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Geneva, Switzerland, from March 23 to 27, 2024.
Before the assembly, Haider Ali had formally requested the Senate Secretariat to provide a note and introductory letter for himself and his family. It was later discovered that Haider Ali, along with his family, applied for political asylum in Europe and failed to return to Pakistan.
In response to this incident, Foreign Secretary Cyrus Sajjad Qazi addressed the National Assembly and the Senate Secretariat in writing, detailing new guidelines for issuing visa notices. These guidelines include reviewing the process for issuing introductory notes to individuals accompanying National Assembly members and Senators on foreign delegations.
The new directive stipulates that family members of parliamentary officials travelling on official duties will no longer receive an International Letter of Support (ILS). Moreover, introductory letters provided to government officials travelling abroad will now require affidavits to ensure the recipients do not seek political asylum in any country. These measures aim to prevent similar incidents and maintain the integrity of official delegations from Pakistan.
