Senate also approved an amendment to the CrPC but deferred the Islamabad Metro Bus Service Bill, 2026
ISLAMABAD:
The Senate on Monday rejected a private member’s bill seeking to restrict the issuance of diplomatic passports to ministers of state, advisers, special assistants and senior bureaucrats.
The sitting also witnessed a heated exchange between treasury and opposition senators that led to a PPP walkout, objections by the PTI to changes in electoral constituency descriptions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), and the unanimous adoption of a resolution reaffirming Pakistan’s support for the right to self-determination of the people of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
During the legislative proceedings, the House passed bills concerning Iqra Global University, the Special Technology Zones Authority, amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the removal of exemptions under the law prohibiting plastic book covers in Islamabad.
Bills aimed at promoting Iqbaliyat and freeing public administration from colonial practices were referred to the relevant standing committees.
The Senate also approved an amendment to the CrPC but deferred the Islamabad Metro Bus Service Bill, 2026.
Senate rejects diplomatic passport bill
The House rejected the motion for the introduction of the Passports (Amendment) Bill, 2026, moved by PTI Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman, chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, along with senators Samina Mumtaz Zehri and Saifullah Abro.
Opposing the bill, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said, “You are bringing an amendment to the authority of the cabinet which you have not seen.”
Responding to the objection, Senator Faisal said the proposal concerned diplomatic passports, which, he argued, should be reserved for those whose official responsibilities justified their issuance. “There should be no distribution in the issuance of diplomatic passports,” he observed.
PPP Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro, however, argued that a minister of state was also a representative of parliament.
According to the bill, the proposed legislation sought to amend the Passports Act, 1974, by inserting a new Section 12A to restrict diplomatic passport entitlements for ministers of state, advisers, special assistants, federal secretaries and director generals.
Under the proposed provision, no diplomatic passport would be issued, reissued or renewed to a minister of state, an adviser to the prime minister, a special assistant to the prime minister, a federal secretary other than the foreign secretary, or a director general solely by virtue of holding that office.
Those already possessing such passports would have been required to surrender them to the prescribed authority within 30 days of the law’s commencement.
The proposed amendment clarified that the restrictions would not prevent the individuals concerned from obtaining or retaining ordinary or official passports where otherwise entitled. Nor would it affect any independent entitlement arising from another office, appointment or diplomatic assignment that lawfully carried such an entitlement.
The bill’s statement of objects and reasons noted that the Passports Rules, 2021, provided for the issuance of diplomatic passports to various categories of public office holders, including state ministers and officials holding the status of minister of state.
“A diplomatic passport is a special travel document of the state, and its issuance should primarily correspond to the nature and requirements of diplomatic or state functions rather than operate automatically as a privilege attached to rank or status,” the bill read.
It said the proposed amendment would not restrict official duties or foreign travel undertaken for official purposes, as the individuals concerned could continue to obtain ordinary or official passports where eligible.
The proposal sought only to ensure that holding, or having previously held, the office or status of minister of state, adviser, special assistant, federal secretary other than foreign secretary, or director general would not, by itself, confer an entitlement to a diplomatic passport.
According to the statement of objects and reasons, the amendment was intended to establish a clear and reasonable distinction between diplomatic functions and political status and promote a transparent, purpose-based system for issuing diplomatic passports.
Consumer protection bill passes amid heated exchange
The Upper House also witnessed a heated exchange between PML-N Senator Nasir Butt and PPP Senator Sherry Rehman during consideration of the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026, following which PPP senators staged a walkout.
The bill, moved by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), was passed despite opposition from the PML-N-led government. Butt questioned whom the PPP was supporting, triggering the exchange that led to the walkout.
The legislation secured 10 votes in favour and four against after a vote was allowed for the second time.
Chaudhry opposed the bill, while Zehri criticised the government for resisting the legislation, saying it neither worked itself nor allowed others to work.
Plastic book-cover restrictions
The House unanimously passed a bill seeking to amend the Islamabad Capital Territory (Prohibition of Plastic Book Covers) Act, 2026, to remove an exemption clause that had allowed the law to be misused.
The bill was moved by PPP Senator Sherry Rehman. According to its statement of objects and reasons, the principal Act had been enacted to regulate and prohibit the use of plastic book covers within the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).
The statement said: “During the examination of the provisions of the said Act, it has been considered necessary to review the exceptions and other provisions contained in section 3, particularly clause (a) of sub-section (2) thereof.”
It added that retaining the clause could create an exception inconsistent with the intended purpose of the legislation.
Speaking during the proceedings, Rehman said plastic covers were still being used on books at some large shops in Islamabad. She said a meeting had also been held with the Ministry of Interior to discuss the issue.
“During checking, shopkeepers declare every plastic as biodegradable,” she said, adding that according to the interior ministry, there was no laboratory or scale available in the country to test biodegradable plastic.
The former climate minister said the amendment was intended to remove legal ambiguity concerning plastic book covers.
“Under the amendment, there will be a complete ban on all types of plastic in Islamabad,” she said, adding that no one would be exempt from the prohibition on using plastic.
PTI raises objections to constituency changes
Meanwhile, PTI parliamentary leader in the Senate Barrister Syed Ali Zafar raised serious objections to the revision of descriptions of several National and provincial assembly constituencies in K-P, criticising the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for making the changes without hearing public objections.
Zafar said constituencies determined the representation of people in parliament and that any changes affecting them had to be made strictly in accordance with the law, through a transparent process and with full public scrutiny.
“The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) cannot treat the law as optional,” he said, adding that Section 22 of the Elections Act, 2017, laid down the legal requirements governing changes to constituencies. “If the prescribed procedure has not been followed, the legality of the entire exercise is called into question.”
He demanded clear answers from the ECP, asking why the changes had been made without a transparent public process and who would be held responsible if the law had been violated.
The PTI senator also expressed concern over the continued delay in appointing a successor to the chief election commissioner, whose five-year term expired on January 26, 2025.
While Article 215 provided for the incumbent’s continuation in office until a successor took over, Zafar said the provision should not become an excuse for indefinitely delaying an important constitutional appointment.
“The government must explain why the matter remains unresolved.”
“An ECP that commands public confidence must be above suspicion. It must not only act fairly; it must demonstrate fairness,” Senator Zafar said.
“Electoral decisions must not create the impression that political interests are being served at the expense of the law.”
He called on the government to take notice of the matter and ensure compliance with the law. He also demanded that the ECP provide a clear legal justification for its actions and that any failure to follow the prescribed procedure be addressed.
“Elections are the foundation of democracy. If the process is not transparent, public confidence in the electoral system will be undermined. The law must be respected, the people must be heard, and no institution, however powerful, is above the Constitution,” he remarked.
Responding to the concerns, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the matter was being discussed on the basis of a newspaper report and asked members to share any official notification. He said he would seek further information from the ECP.
Resolution on Kashmir
The House also demonstrated unanimity by adopting a resolution reaffirming Pakistan’s unequivocal support for the right to self-determination of the people of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) ahead of Kashmir Black Day, to be observed on October 27.
The resolution was moved by Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam.
It declared that the entry of Indian forces into occupied Jammu and Kashmir on October 27, 1947, followed by the unlawful and forcible occupation of the territory and the subsequent developments, marked a significant turning point in the history of the Kashmir dispute.
The resolution paid tribute to the people of occupied Kashmir for their continued struggle and sacrifices in pursuit of their right to self-determination.
It emphasised the importance of a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and stressed that the Kashmiri people must be allowed to determine their own future.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s principled position, the resolution stated that a just and lasting settlement of the dispute was impossible without respecting the aspirations of the Kashmiri people and their right to self-determination. It called on the United Nations to play an effective role in resolving the dispute in accordance with its relevant resolutions.
The resolution also urged the international community to take due notice of human rights violations in IIOJK and play an effective role in safeguarding the fundamental rights of the Kashmiri people.
It called on the government of Pakistan to continue extending political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of IIOJK and intensify efforts to highlight the Kashmir dispute at the international level.
The House reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to supporting the legitimate struggle of the people of IIOJK and upholding their right to self-determination.
