ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Senate rejected a diplomatic passport bill on Monday that sought to end automatic eligibility for ministers of state, advisers, special assistants and senior bureaucrats.
The upper house blocked a motion to introduce the Passports (Amendment) Bill, 2026, after Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry opposed the proposal.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman moved the bill alongside Senators Samina Mumtaz Zehri and Saifullah Abro.
Rehman argued that authorities should reserve diplomatic passports for officials whose responsibilities justified their use. Chaudhry countered that the proposed restrictions would affect the cabinet’s authority.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro defended ministers of state as parliamentary representatives. The proposal sought to insert Section 12A into the Passports Act, 1974.
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It would have removed passport eligibility based solely on holding specified offices, including federal secretary or director general. An exception applied to the foreign secretary.
The proposed restrictions would have given existing holders 30 days to surrender their diplomatic passports after the law took effect.
Officials could still obtain ordinary or official passports where legally entitled. Independent eligibility arising from diplomatic assignments would also remain unaffected.
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In separate proceedings, senators passed the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026, by a vote of 10 to 4 despite government opposition.
An argument between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Nasir Butt and PPP Senator Sherry Rehman prompted a walkout by PPP lawmakers.
The Senate also unanimously approved an amendment removing an exemption from Islamabad’s plastic book cover restrictions.
Lawmakers approved a separate criminal procedure amendment and deferred the Islamabad Metro Bus Service Bill, 2026.
