Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry has said the government will introduce stricter checks for the issuance of official blue passports following criticism over a proposed bill that would extend eligibility to dependent children, up to 28 years of age, of former members of parliament.

The bill was approved by a Senate committee earlier this month, but Chaudhry maintained that he had expressed reservations and believed the matter should first be discussed by the federal cabinet and other relevant stakeholders.

According to the minister, every future application for a blue passport will require approval from the Interior Ministry, with cases being reviewed by the interior secretary and, where necessary, the interior minister.

He said Pakistan currently has a large number of blue passport holders, which creates difficulties in negotiating visa exemption agreements with other countries.

He added that the number of blue passports has already been reduced significantly and the government intends to cut it by a further 15 to 20 per cent.

Chaudhry also revealed that discussions on visa exemption arrangements for official passport holders are at an advanced stage with Saudi Arabia, while negotiations with countries including Italy are continuing.

He further suggested that if lawmakers wish to create parity between former parliamentarians and retired Grade-22 officers, the better option would be to withdraw the existing facility from retired bureaucrats rather than expand it.

PTI Senator Barrister Ali Zafar also opposed extending blue passports to the children of former legislators, arguing that such passports should only facilitate official state responsibilities and should not become a privilege or status symbol.

The report also explains the current categories of officials and dependants eligible for blue passports and notes that these passports provide visa-free access to 55 countries under various bilateral agreements for official travel.