blue passports
Coverage of blue passports in the Nexus archive.
- KP Assembly speaker refers controversial legislation expanding lawmakers’ privileges to house committee for review
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati referred a controversial law expanding lawmakers' privileges to a house committee for review. The law, passed in April 2026, grants blue passports, arms licenses, and immunity to lawmakers but faced public and media criticism, prompting Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to order a review. The government aims to align the law with the 1988 Act.
- 'Shameful': Proposed bill allowing blue passports for ex-legislators’ kids comes under scrutiny on social media
A proposed bill allowing blue passports for children under 28 of ex-legislators has been criticized by politicians, journalists, and experts for expanding privileges and undermining democracy. The Senate panel approved the legislation, which aligns ex-MPs with entitlements of retired Grade-22 government officers, but State Minister Tallal Chaudhry denied supporting it. Critics argue it widens the trust gap between elites and citizens and enables 'foreign escape routes.'