instructions-visit-abroad.pdf

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INSTRUCTIONS ON VISITS ABROAD

Instructions on foreign visits alongwith the procedure for

processing the cases on the subject are as follows:-

I. Visits abroad by officers/officials upto and including

BPS-20 and their

equivalent working inAutonomous/ Semi-Autonomous Bodies and

Corporations.

i) Where no government funding isinvolved, Secretary/ Additional

Secretary Incharge of Ministry/

Division concerned will becompetent to accord permission.

ii) Where government funds or funds

of the concerned AutonomousBodies/Corporations are involved,

approval of the Minister Incharge

will be necessary subject to theavailability of funds in the relevant

budget and prior clearance by theMinistry of Finance.

II. Visits abroad of officers inBPS-21 and 22 (other than

Secretaries/ AdditionalSecretaries Incharge) andtheir equivalent; working in

Autonomous/ Semi

Autonomous Bodies andCorporations includingMP1, MPII, MPIII, M1 and

MII (except Heads ofautonomous/ semi-autonomous bodies in MP1)

and Heads of Departments.

i) In case of non-involvement ofGovernment funds, Minister

Incharge will be competent toapprove.

ii) In case of involvement of

Government funds or funds of theAutonomous Bodies/ Corporationsconcerned (direct or indirect

including project loans repayableby Government), the MinisterIncharge will be competent to

approve subject to prior clearance

by the Ministry of Finance.

2. 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 Cabinet rank, Parliamentary Secretaries, Provincial

Governors, Secretaries/Additional Secretaries Incharge of theMinistries/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 additionalfunds were required, the summaries for visits abroad of the

Federal Secretaries would be submitted to the Prime MinistersSecretariat directly by the respective Ministries/Divisions.However a copy of such summaries shall be endorsed toMinistry of Foreign Affairs simultaneously so that ForeignAffairs could issue advice, if required.

*Provided further that copy of summary containing final

approval will be endorsed to the Cabinet Division forinformation/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 notleave Pakistan without prior approval.

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

bare minimum.

18. In cases of participation in conferences, seminars, workshopsetc. categorization of the same i.e. either Obligatory as classified and

circulated vide Cabinet Divisions O.M. No.1-3/2005-Min.II, dated 23.9.2005or 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 abroadshould not be undertaken by the officers of the Ministries/Divisions to signsuch 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, theyshould fly by PIA to the nearest destination.

****23. All government officers/officials and members of officialdelegations proceeding abroad at government expenses to book their airpassage with PIA. Even in cases when travel is to be performed by foreignairline, the bookings are required to be arranged through PIA after priorclearance 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 hisabsence, 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.

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