INSTRUCTIONS ON VISITS ABROAD

Instructions on foreign visits alongwith the procedure for

processing the cases on the subject are as follows:-

I.

II.

Visits abroad by officers/

officials upto and including
BPS-20
and
their
equivalent
working
in
Autonomous/
SemiAutonomous Bodies and
Corporations.

i)

Visits abroad of officers in

BPS-21 and 22 (other than
Secretaries/
Additional
Secretaries Incharge) and
their equivalent; working in
Autonomous/
Semi
Autonomous Bodies and
Corporations
including
MP1, MPII, MPIII, M1 and
MII (except Heads
of
autonomous/
semiautonomous bodies in MP1)
and Heads of Departments.

2.

Where no government funding is

involved,
Secretary/
Additional
Secretary Incharge of Ministry/
Division
concerned
will
be
competent to accord permission.

ii)

Where government funds or funds

of the concerned Autonomous
Bodies/Corporations are involved,
approval of the Minister Incharge
will be necessary subject to the
availability of funds in the relevant
budget and prior clearance by the
Ministry of Finance.

i)

In case of non-involvement of
Government
funds,
Minister
Incharge will be competent to
approve.

ii)

In
case
of
involvement
of
Government funds or funds of the
Autonomous Bodies/ Corporations
concerned
(direct
or
indirect
including project loans repayable
by Government), the Minister
Incharge will be competent to
approve subject to prior clearance
by the Ministry of Finance.

Visits abroad by Members of the National Security Council,

Federal Ministers, Ministers of State, Advisers, Special Assistants to the

Prime Minister, persons holding the status of Federal Minister or Minister of
State

without

Governors,

Cabinet

rank,

Parliamentary

Secretaries/Additional

Secretaries

Secretaries,
Incharge

Provincial
of

the

Ministries/Divisions and Heads of autonomous/ semi autonomous bodies

and corporations in MP-I scale will require prior approval of the Prime
Minister.
3.

Visits abroad by Provincial Ministers will need prior approval of

the Chief Minister of the Province concerned.

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4.

The elected local government officials at district and lower

levels such as District Nazims/Naib Nazims and other elected officials should
undertake foreign visits in their official capacity only with the approval of
the concerned Provincial Chief Minister in consultation with the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and in coordination with the Pakistan Missions in the host
country.
5.

The visits of Ministers and other delegations should be well

planned and be made only if essential and serve vital national interests.
6.

At the conclusion of a foreign visit the delegation/official shall

submit post visit report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Economic
Affairs Division within 15 days of completion of the visit.
7.

All Ministers/delegations proceeding abroad on official visit

shall secure necessary briefing from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before
departure.
8.

Ministries/Divisions shall ensure that to the maximum extent

possible, officers of Pakistan Embassies in the country in which meeting/

conference is to take place, represent Pakistan at such meetings. However,
the Ministries/Divisions concerned shall provide proper briefing material to
the Pakistan Missions abroad well in time. Meetings/conferences which can
be handled by Pakistan Missions abroad will be identified and proper
intimation sent to the concerned missions. Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall
coordinate in such matters. In case the visit is considered absolutely
unavoidable,

proposal

should

be

prepared

carefully

after

thorough

evaluation so as to ensure adoption of the least cost option.

9.

All cases of visits abroad will require clearance from the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

10.

For undertaking private visits clearance of the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs would not be required.

11.

NOC for proceeding abroad by all government servants will be

required from parent Division/Head of the Department.

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12.

No Minister or Government functionary should solicit at his own

an invitation for participation in training, seminars, conferences, workshops,

meetings, etc., from any source.
13.

Members of the National Security Council, Federal Ministers,

Ministers of State, Advisers, Special Assistants to the Prime Minister,

persons holding the status of Federal Minister or Minister of State without
Cabinet

rank,

Parliamentary

Secretaries,

Provincial

Governors,

Chief

Ministers and Provincial Ministers should not avail of any offer of air fare or
per-diem made by a Foreign Government or International Agency for a visit
abroad.
14.

Both the Minister and the Secretary of a Ministry/Division

should not be out of the country at the same time. However, simultaneous
visit abroad of both the Minister and the Secretary will only be allowed in
unavoidable and very exceptional circumstances. The Ministries/Divisions
seeking such an exemption would be required to add a paragraph to the
summary fully justifying the exemption being sought.
15.

Summaries seeking orders of the Prime Minister should be

submitted at least two weeks prior to the visit abroad through Ministries of
Foreign Affairs, Finance (where applicable) and the Cabinet Division (in this
order) and should contain details of expenditure involved including the
Foreign Exchange component and balance in the relevant budget head (in
the main body of the Summary) and details of previous visits abroad during
the last twelve months.
*

Provided that in cases of obligatory meetings which were fully

funded or Government funds were available and no additional
funds were required, the summaries for visits abroad of the
Federal Secretaries would be submitted to the Prime Ministers
Secretariat directly by the respective Ministries/Divisions.
However a copy of such summaries shall be endorsed to
Ministry of Foreign Affairs simultaneously so that Foreign
Affairs could issue advice, if required.
*

Provided further that copy of summary containing final

approval will be endorsed to the Cabinet Division for
information/record.
*

Added vide Cab. Divisions u.o. note No.1-3/2005-Min.II., dated 23.9.05.

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16.
Officers detailed to attend meetings/seminars etc. should not
leave Pakistan without prior approval.

17.
The Finance Division shall ensure that the duration and
membership of all visits abroad involving Government funds is kept at the
bare minimum.

18.
In cases of participation in conferences, seminars, workshops
etc. categorization of the same i.e. either Obligatory as classified and
circulated vide Cabinet Divisions O.M. No.1-3/2005-Min.II, dated 23.9.2005
or Desirable, may invariably be indicated in the summary.
*

19.
The members of the Cabinet should not take their personal
staff along with them on foreign tours and, instead, use the services of the
Embassy staff.
**

20.
The members of the Cabinet shall not undertake any local or
foreign tour during National Assembly/Senate Sessions.
***

21.
The Ambassadors of Pakistan should normally sign agreements
with the countries of their accreditation and, as far as possible, visits abroad
should not be undertaken by the officers of the Ministries/Divisions to sign
such agreements.
****

22.
All members of the Cabinet shall use PIA flights during their
foreign trips. If there is no direct flight to a particular destination, they
should fly by PIA to the nearest destination.

****23.

All government officers/officials and members of official

delegations proceeding abroad at government expenses to book their air
passage with PIA. Even in cases when travel is to be performed by foreign
airline, the bookings are required to be arranged through PIA after prior
clearance of Finance Division.
*****

24.
Name and designation of the officer who is authorized by the
Secretary/Additional Secretary Incharge to look after the work in his
absence, should invariably be indicated in the main body of the summary.
*

Added vide Cab. Divisions d.o. No.9-51/2003-Min, dated 2.6.2003.

Added vide Cab. Divisions d.o. No.9-51/2003-Min, dated 31.1.2004.
***
Added vide Cab. Divisions d.o. No.9-51/2003-Min, dated 24.4.2003.
****
Added vide Finance Divisions O.M. No.2(2)EX-Exp/2005, dated 12.10.2005.
*****
Added vide Cabinet Divisions d.o. No.9-148/2002-Min, dated 30.11.2007.
**