HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE
KATHMANDU: The government will soon introduce new passport regulations aiming at barring issuance of passports to bank loan defaulters, money launderers and persons facing criminal charges, according to an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Passport Regulations-2010, which has been approved by the Cabinet, has provisioned that bank loan defaulters, money launderers and those facing criminal charges — such as human trafficking, kidnapping and drug dealing — won’t enjoy the right to hold Machine Readable Passports once MoFA begins distribution from January 1.
“Those either convicted or under investigation of such crimes won’t be issued passports,” said Bharat Paudel, Chief of Central Passport Office, MoFA. “As per the regulation, MoFA can even revoke passports issued to such individuals if the authorities concerned ask so.” Earlier, Passport Regulations-2003 was silent on passport issuance to persons convicted or under investigation of criminal charges. Such individuals, however, can possess passports once they are acquitted. The government has introduced such provision into the new law after it received positive feedback to this effect, said the official.
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