We are living in a world of amnesties. After a series of amnesties for those who have amassed black money in 2018 and 2019, the government has announced one such scheme for the government employees who secured passports illegally. The period of forgiveness will end on July 23. According to rough estimates, 84,000 public officials have got issued passports as a common citizen only to enjoy foreign torus without getting a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the departments concerned, which is binding on them before setting out on a foreign journey. Likewise, getting issued a passport as a private person by concealing the official position is a punishable offence under Section 6(1) of the Passports Act of 1974. Section 6(1) of the Passports Act reads, “A person shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both, if he: (a) make or makes use of any statement which he knows or believes to be false in any document for obtaining passport; or (b) attests or verifies statement which he knows or has reason to believe to be false in any document used for obtaining a passport; or (c) wilfully conceals any fact which under the circumstances he ought to disclose for the purpose of obtaining a passport for himself or another person.” Seeing the massive violation of the rule, the government announced the amnesty scheme for the violators three months ago in April, asking the government officials to get new passports or face cases by the Federal Investigation Agency. Under the amnesty, officials having a wrong passport needs to give up the travel document against a plenty of Rs 5,000 and get a new passport. The government has taken up the issue for the first time, but side by side, it ought to consider the rules pertaining to the issue of the NOC. Obtaining an NOC becomes a real struggle for the officials if the officer empowered with issuing the document is on leave or is not ready to issue, inducing the officials to look for the ways to sneak out of the country. The government must come up with ways to simplify the procedures of obtaining an NOC. Hopefully, the amnesty scheme will address the menace of having illegal passports either by public servants or the people of influence who have illegally got issued diplomatic passports. The interior ministry, under maverick Chaudhry Nisar Ali, had cancelled several thousands of such passports. The incumbent government should also look into that side and end culture of favours and privileges. *