The Cabinet Division has announced the implementation of a new foreign travel policy for federal ministers and government officials, in accordance with decisions made by the federal cabinet.
This policy aims to streamline and regulate overseas visits while emphasizing austerity measures and accountability.
Key highlights of the policy include seeking permission from the austerity committee for visits without unavoidable reasons, while all the details of the foreign visits would have to be provided to the Foreign Ministry.
According to the documents, there is a ban on simultaneous foreign visits of ministers and secretaries, except for unavoidable circumstances where both may travel together, subject to permission from the prime minister.
For any exemption, the minister, or division concerned would have to seek permission from the prime minister.
Efforts to involve embassy officers have been encouraged for any conferences abroad, while government officers have been restricted to travelling abroad only for unavoidable reasons. If there is no unavoidable reason, permission for any travel would have to be sought from the austerity committee.
Moreover, staying in five-star hotels during foreign visits is prohibited, and support staff accompanying government officers on journeys are disallowed.
Furthermore, teleconferencing has been recommended as an alternative to foreign visits whenever feasible, and visits by ministers, ministers of state, advisors, and assistants are subject to approval from the prime minister. Similarly, secretaries, additional secretaries, and in-charge of the divisions would also require permission from the prime minister for foreign travel.
Delegations comprising three officers and Grade 20 officers will be allowed foreign travel by the minister concerned, with permission for larger delegations sought from the prime minister through the ministries of finance and foreign affairs.
Furthermore, ministers, ministers of state, advisers, and assistants are limited to three visits to foreign countries per year, with possible extensions in the number in special circumstances. However, exceptions to the travel restrictions are made for the foreign and commerce ministries, while visits to international financial institutions require a No-Objection Certificate from the Economic Affairs Division.
According to the documents, certain officials, including the president, chief justice of Pakistan, senators, MNAs, federal secretaries, ambassadors, the chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the services chiefs, would be entitled to travelling first class. The prime minister, Senate chairman, the National Assembly speaker, federal ministers and the ministers of state, could travel business class.
Moreover, all officers linked to federal government institutions would be allowed to travel economy class only. Also, PIA flights would be preferred for any foreign travel, as per the documents. The ministers have also been barred from travelling during National Assembly or Senate sessions.
It has also been made mandatory to submit all the details of the foreign visits to the Foreign Ministry within 15 days, while instructions have been issued not to contact the countries with whom there are no diplomatic relations.
The guidelines further state that official and semi-official relations with Taiwan can be conducted under the 'One China Policy', while special permission has been made mandatory for contacts with Korea. Permission has to be sought from the interior and foreign ministries for visiting India.
On the other hand. hosting of foreign companies has been discouraged, while experts and consultants will be authorized to visit only during bilateral discussions, the document said.
