The Ministry of Interior has decided to review its existing policy governing the overseas posting of immigration officers, signalling a possible shift in how foreign assignments are managed in the future. The move comes as the ministry submitted detailed information about officers currently serving abroad to the National Assembly.

According to the details shared with parliament, amendments to the policy related to the overseas posting of immigration officers are currently under process. The proposed changes aim to broaden the scope of foreign postings beyond the immigration cadre alone. Under the revised policy, officers belonging to other service groups will also be eligible for overseas assignments.

This marks a significant departure from the existing framework, under which such postings were largely limited to immigration officials working under the Ministry of Interior. The ministry informed the National Assembly that at present, 93 of its officers are deployed in Machine Readable Passport sections across various countries. These officers were appointed under the existing policy for a fixed tenure of three years. 

However, the ministry acknowledged that the tenure of officers currently posted abroad has already expired, highlighting the urgency behind revisiting and updating the policy. Officials say the review is intended to ensure better administrative management and compliance with established service rules.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)