A major question over No Objection Certificates for parliamentarians official passports came under scrutiny in the Senate on Monday, with the Director General of Passports telling the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control that there is no such restriction under the current law.
The issue was raised by Senator Abid Sher Ali during a meeting of the committee chaired by Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman at Parliament House.
Senator Abid Sher Ali questioned why parliamentarians were being asked to obtain an NOC from the Ministry of Interior for their official passports and asked the authorities to explain the legal basis for such a requirement.
The Director General of Passports gave a clear response, stating that the current law contains no restriction requiring such an NOC.
This statement seriously questioned the passport NOC issue, as the committee specifically sought to know which law or rule allowed the Ministry of Interior to impose such a condition.
The Director General told the committee that a detailed report on passport categories would be submitted on a priority basis.
The report is expected to explain the different passport categories and their applicable rules, giving the committee a clearer picture of whether any special procedure is legally required for parliamentarians.
The matter was discussed during a wider meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control, which examined issues related to law enforcement, public safety and other matters.
However, the passport NOC issue stood out because the committee was told that no such restriction exists under the current law.
The committee will receive the detailed report from the Directorate General of Passports for further examination.
