The Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs has updated its visa issuance and official travel protocols following a recent incident where a Senate officer’s family sought political asylum in Europe during an official trip.
In light of this event, the Ministry has introduced new guidelines for the issuance of notes verbales and introductory letters. According to the revised policy, requests for diplomatic or official passports must now originate from the National Assembly or Senate Secretariat. Additionally, introductory letters will no longer be provided to family members accompanying officials on personal trips.
Approved by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, the updated guidelines also mandate that officials and their families must submit a formal affidavit affirming that they will not seek asylum in any foreign country during their travels.
The incident in question involved Haider Ali Sundrani, the Joint Secretary of the Senate Secretariat, who was scheduled to attend the 148th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Geneva, Switzerland, in March 2024. Sundrani requested official documentation not only for himself but also for his family. However, it emerged that his family did not return to Pakistan and instead applied for political asylum, which led to national embarrassment and further complications in visa procedures for other officials.
The new measures aim to prevent similar occurrences in the future and to streamline the process for issuing travel documents and managing official trips.
