The Senate Standing Committee on Interior has approved a proposed bill that would grant official blue passports to former parliamentarians and their eligible family members. The proposal, introduced by Senator Abdul Qadir, aims to extend the same travel privileges currently available to retired federal secretaries, placing former lawmakers on equal footing regarding official travel documents.
The proposed legislation, titled the Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) Amendment Act, 2026, received the committee’s approval during its latest meeting. If passed by Parliament, the bill will allow former members of the National Assembly and Senate to receive free blue passports, which are official travel documents issued to government officials, judges, military personnel, and other state representatives traveling on official assignments.
Under the proposed amendments, the facility will not only cover former parliamentarians but will also extend to their spouses. Additionally, dependent children under the age of 28 will also become eligible to receive official blue passports without any fee.
Supporters of the bill argued that retired federal secretaries and their families already receive the same benefit, making it reasonable to extend similar privileges to former elected representatives.
The proposal follows an earlier decision in May 2026, when another Senate committee unanimously approved legislation granting lifetime blue passports to serving and retired senators. During those discussions, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry expressed no objection to providing official passports to serving and retired senators. However, he raised concerns about extending the privilege to dependent children up to the age of 28, citing the possibility of misuse.
The committee, chaired by Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman, also directed the Ministry of Interior to submit a comprehensive report on all active blue passports currently issued. Lawmakers emphasized the need for strict monitoring to prevent any misuse of official travel documents before expanding eligibility further.
If the legislation is approved by both houses of Parliament and receives presidential assent, former parliamentarians and their eligible family members will officially qualify for blue passports, marking a significant expansion of the government’s official passport policy.
