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 to the prime minister and senior bureaucrats.
The Passports (Amendment) Bill, 2026, moved by PTI Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman and other lawmakers, proposed amending the Passports Act, 1974, to end automatic eligibility for diplomatic passports based solely on official rank or status.
Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry opposed the proposal, arguing that it concerned the cabinet’s authority.
In a separate development, the Senate passed the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026, despite government opposition. The legislation secured 10 votes in favour and four against, following a heated exchange between PML-N and PPP senators.
The House also unanimously approved an amendment to the Islamabad Capital Territory (Prohibition of Plastic Book Covers) Act, 2026, to remove an exemption that could undermine the ban on plastic book covers.
Additionally, the Senate approved an amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), while deferring the Islamabad Metro Bus Service Bill, 2026.