Govt withdraws Pakistani asylum seekers’ passport ban order

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday withdrew an earlier issued circular of June 5, 2024, suspending the issuance of passports to Pakistani nationals seeking asylum abroad, ARY News reported.

Dar announced this while chairing a high-level meeting to discuss the measures for the welfare of overseas Pakistanis.

The meeting was attended by the foreign secretary, interior secretary, Director General of Immigration and Passports and senior officers of the foreign ministry.

The deputy prime minister was given a detailed briefing by the interior secretary and DG Immigration and Passports regarding the timely issuance of passports to overseas Pakistanis.

The authorities concerned assured the deputy prime minister that the passports of the Pakistani expatriates would be issued within 60 days.

Earlier, the Passport and Immigration Directorate has banned the issuance of passports to asylum seekers abroad on Mohsin Naqvi’s order.

According to it, a ban had been imposed on the issuance of passports to those seeking asylum in foreign countries.

The Ministry of Interior in a letter had said that all those Pakistani citizens who will get asylum in other countries, on whatever basis, would not be issued Pakistani passports.

The decision was taken citing the national security reasons, sources said.