Pak disappearing act forcing visa clampdown: Govt

Sources, however, said the Government was merely formalising what had been initiated last year after the December 13 attack on Parliament. ‘‘The restriction on visas had started soon after. In the past one year, from January 1, 2002, less than 200 Pakistani nationals have been granted visas by the Indian Government. Each and every case is being carefully scrutinised and the visa is being given in the rarest of rare cases,’’ disclosed an official in the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office (FRRO).

And all of them were coming into India from a third country in the absence of any direct air link and suspension of Samjhauta Express and the Lahore bus. The visa agreement, signed following the Simla agreement, between the two countries had limited the number of places to be visited to three.

India had, however, granted several unilateral concessions — it had increased the number of places to 12 and also begun granting visas under several additional categories, including tourist, though the accord restricted it to the purpose of meeting relatives and diplomatic work.

‘‘Now we want to curtail the number of cities to three and also stop (granting) extensions to tourist visas. If a tourist wants an extension, he will have to go back to Pakistan, apply for the visa again and then return,’’ explained Rao.

It was a survey conducted by the Government which forced it to contemplate these restrictions. With visas not being easily granted to Pakistani nationals in 2002, the Government had enough time to verify the visa applications made in 2001. ‘‘On verification, we found that in 90 per cent cases, the Pakistan addresses furnished by the applicant were false. Now why would any Pakistani want to enter India by furnishing a false address,’’ questioned Rao. ‘‘You need only one Osama Bin Laden to cause a disaster, ’’ he added.

The Govt now plans to closely monitor the stay of Pakistani nationals in the country. ‘‘We are installing a software to read visa forms at the various entry and exit points for Pakistani nationals which include Wagah and the airports. The information will be instantly converted into an e-mail and transmitted to all the FRROs so that they can wait to welcome the guests from Pakistan and monitor their movements,’’ the minister said.

The Government also intends to crack down on those who have overstayed or gone underground. Records show that 8,884 Pakistani nationals have overstayed and another 2,324 have disappeared without a trace. ‘‘We have already issued directions to various state governments to crack the whip and trace all these Pakistani nationals and deport them,’’ he said.

The minister insisted that the restrictions were being imposed in the interest of national security. ‘‘We are going to be sympathetic towards Pakistani women married to Indians and staying on long-term visas, and also to those people who came and settled in parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat during the 1965 and 1971 wars. We are considering granting them citizenship,’’ he said. But only after a thorough scrutiny on a case-to-case basis. There were nearly 5,000 persons, mostly Hindus, who had migrated during the wars.

Asked whether any amendment in the Foreigners Act, 1946, or Indian Passports Act, 1920, was required to make all these changes, Rao said Govt orders would suffice in this regard.