ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Monday blocked a private members` bill seeking to restrict the issuance of diplomatic passports to ministers of state, advisers, special assistants and senior bureaucrats, rejecting the motion to introduce the Passports (Amendment) Bill 2026.

The bill was sought to be moved by Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman, chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior, along with Senators Samina Mumtaz Zehri and Saifullah Abro.

Speaking against the bill, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudry said:`We oppose the bill. You are bringing an amendment seeking to curtail the authority of the cabinet.

Faisal Rehman said the bill is about diplomatic passports. `Diplomatic passport should be with ministers only. There should be no distribution in issuance of diplomatic passports,` he observed.

PPP Senator Zamir Ghumro said that a minister of state was a representative of parliament.

The bill, seen by Dawn, sought to amend the Passports Act 1974, by inserting a new Section 12A, titled `Restriction on Diplomatic Passport Entitlement of Ministers of State, Advisers, Special Assistants, Federal Secretaries and Director Generals`.

It provides that no diplomatic passport shall be issued, re-issued or renewed to a minister of state, adviser and special assistant to the prime minister, federal secretaries other than the foreign secretary, or director general, by virtue of holding such office, and any such passport already held shall be surrendered to the prescribed authority within 30 days of commencement of the act.

It clarifies that nothing shall prevent such persons from obtaining or retaining an ordinary or official passport where otherwise entitled, and nothing shall affect any independent entitlement arising by virtue of any other office, appointment or diplomatic assignment which lawfully carries such entitlement.

Consumers protection, book covers The Senate passed the Consumers Protection (Amendment) Bill 2026, despite opposition from the government, and approved an amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, while deferring the Islamabad Metro Bus Service Bill 2026.

The bill, moved by Samina Mumtaz Zehri, secured 10 votes in favour and four against, after voting was allowed for the second time by presiding officer Senator Shahadat Awan.

Tallal Chaudhry opposed the bill, while Senator Zehri criticised the government for opposing legislation, saying it neither worked itself nor allowed others to work. The house also witnessed a heated exchange between PML-N`s Nasir Butt and PPP`s Sherry Rehman during the passage of the bill, with the former asking which side the PPP was on. PPP members walked out after the episode.

The Senate also unanimously passed a bill to amend the law banning plastic book covers in the federal capital by removing an exemption clause that was being misused. The Islamabad Capital Territory (Prohibition of Plastic Book Covers) (Amendment) Bill 2026 was moved by PPP Senator Sherry Rehman.

`Redescription` of KP constituencies PTI parliamentary leader in the Senate Barrister Syed Ali Zafar raised serious concerns over `redescription` of several constituencies of national and provincial assemblies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, deploring that the revisions were made without hearing public objections.

He said constituencies determine the representation of people in parliament and that any changes affecting them must be made strictly in accordance with the law, through a transparent process and with full public scrutiny.

`The Election Commission cannot treat the law as optional,` he said, adding that Section 22 of the Elections Act 2017 lays down legal requirements relating to changes in constituencies. If the prescribed procedure has not been followed, the legality of the entire exercise is called into question.

Senator Zafar also expressed concern over the continued delay in appointing a successor to the chief election commissioner (CEC), whose five-year term expired on Jan 26, 2025. While Article 215 provides for continuation in office until a successor takes over, he said this provision must not become an excuse for indefinite delay in making an important constitutional appointment. The government must explain why the matter remains unresolved, he asked.

Meanwhile, the Senate unanimously adopted a resolution reaffirming Pakistan`s unequivocal support for the right to self-determination of the people of Indiaheld Kashmir on the occasion of Kashmir Black Day observed on Oct 27. It called upon the government to continue extending political, moral and diplomatic support to the people of India-held Kashmir and to intensify its efforts to highlight the dispute at the internationallevel.