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.
2 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.
3 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 Minister’s 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. Division’s u.o. note No.1-3/2005-Min.II., dated 23.9.05.
4 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 Division’s 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. Division’s d.o. No.9-51/2003-Min, dated 2.6.2003. Added vide Cab. Division’s d.o. No.9-51/2003-Min, dated 31.1.2004. *** Added vide Cab. Division’s d.o. No.9-51/2003-Min, dated 24.4.2003. **** Added vide Finance Division’s O.M. No.2(2)EX-Exp/2005, dated 12.10.2005. ***** Added vide Cabinet Division’s d.o. No.9-148/2002-Min, dated 30.11.2007. **
