ISLAMABAD: PTI on Wednesday defended MNA Iqbal Afridi’s son, who surrendered his passport and sought asylum in a European country, saying he had no other option left to prevent detention and harassment.

The matter came to light during a recent meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior, where State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry alleged that MNA Iqbal Afridi’s son had sought asylum in Italy.

The minister had alleged that the young man held a diplomatic passport, and proceeded to Italy via a European nation that does not require Pakistanis who hold official passports to obtain a visa before arrival.

Talking to Dawn, Sheikh Waqas Akram, the information secretary of PTI, said he had personally spoken to Afridi about the issue.

“Afridi’s son is 28-year-old so he does not carry a diplomatic passport. According to rules, only dependents, which include children below 18 years and spouses of MNAs, can carry a diplomatic passport,” he said.

Waqas further claimed that Afridi’s son travelled to at least four countries and finally reached Italy.

“Afridi cannot be held accountable for the decision made by his 28-year-old son,” he said.

“Moreover, it is a fact that whenever ‘they’ came to arrest Afridi, they would pick up his son. His son had no option left but to leave the country. They should reflect and feel ashamed that people are leaving Pakistan and seeking political asylum,” Waqas said.

Meanwhile, in a video message on X, Afridi said that his son had previously been abducted and that authorities had also raided his home several times.

“My son was compelled to leave the country,” he said, adding, “When these institutions and the government treat youngsters like this — not allowing him to speak the truth and not letting him post anything in support of his leader — then what will they do?”

He lamented that no one wants his son to be separated from him. “My son has been separated from me for life; they should be sympathising with me instead of criticising me,” he said.

He also revealed that about 40–50 days ago, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq contacted PTI leaders. “The speaker asked me about my son. I said he is independent and that fear was the reason for his leaving the country.”

“When I asked the speaker what I could do, he replied, ‘You should not speak against the government and institutions,’” Afridi said.

“My son left due to oppression,” he said.

“We didn’t come to Pakistan from India; our ancestors were living in Pakistan before its foundation. Being loyal to Pakistan and the struggle for the rule of law and the Constitution is our only mission,” he added.

Govt alleges misuse of diplomatic passports

The controversy over a proposal to extend blue passports to the children of senators deepened on Wednesday after the State Minister Chaudhry said the facility was already being misused, citing the case of a PTI MNA’s son who allegedly claimed asylum in Europe using an official passport.

The committee meeting was chaired by Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman, which considered the Passports (Amendment) Bill, 2026

Speaking after the meeting, Chaudhry said, “The son of Afridi was entitled to a blue passport. He went to a European country where a visa is not required on a blue passport,” Chaudhry said. “From there, he claimed asylum. We received this information through diplomatic sources. Such incidents damage the country’s reputation.”

The remarks came a day after Senator Abdul Qadir introduced a bill seeking to allow parliamentarians, particularly senators, to retain gratis official passports for life even if they have not completed a full five-year term in the National Assembly or a six-year term in the Senate. Under the existing law, only parliamentarians who complete their full term retain the facility for life.

Another proposed amendment seeks to extend eligibility for blue passports to the children of senators up to the age of 28.

Chaudhry said the interior ministry had already restricted the issuance of blue and diplomatic passports and would reduce the number further. “These passports will be issued only to those who are genuinely entitled and genuinely require them,” he said.

“This issue is directly linked to the ranking of your passports,” he added. “Countries that give visa-free entry or on-arrival visa facilities do not sign agreements if a country issues blue and diplomatic passports in bulk.”

He said parliament should decide the matter, adding that if civil servants were misusing the facility, parliamentarians should point it out. “The law and the rules can be changed, but no one should try to benefit from any loophole,” he said.

Responding later, Afridi said there was neither political stability nor peace in the country and multinational companies were leaving. “Let me know how many Pakistanis have claimed asylum before,” he said, adding that his son should not be singled out.

Chaudhry told the meeting the interior ministry had no objection to granting lifetime official passports to sitting and retired senators, but expressed reservations over extending the facility to senators’ children up to 28 due to reported misuse.

The committee raised concerns over the issuance of official passports to children of senior civil servants and directed the ministry to provide a detailed list of active blue passports issued so far. It also called for strict action against misuse and unanimously approved the bill for lifetime official passports for senators.