Pak plans new visa rules

After rejecting a number of Indian proposals, Pakistan is likely to put forward some new ideas to liberalise the visa regime during Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri's three-day visit to New Delhi next week.

After rejecting a number of Indian proposals, Pakistan is likely to put forward some new ideas to liberalise the visa regime during Foreign Minister Khurshid M Kasuri’s three-day visit to New Delhi next week.

Kasuri will carry a new set of proposals to negotiate a revised liberal visa regime during his visit beginning February 20 to co-chair the India-Pak Joint Commission with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee, an official was quoted as saying by The News daily here.

A comparative study of the proposals of the two countries submitted to Kasuri during Mukherjee’s visit last month revealed that Pakistan, besides rejecting proposals for new category visas for pilgrims and students, has also reduced the Indian proposal to grant visa for businessmen from 90 days to 30 days. Kasuri reportedly said he would respond after going through it.

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The two countries are making efforts to change a very restrictive visa regime worked out in 1974. Indian officials say plans to liberalise the regime have been bogged down since 2005 when Pakistan rejected or watered down a number of Indian suggestions.

The Pakistani official denied that Islamabad was trying to dilute the proposals, saying there is no reason why the measures Kasuri will be proposing should not be accepted by New Delhi if it displays the political will.

“Now we are negotiating a revised protocol which will allow for more than a dozen new religious sites in Pakistan for Indian pilgrims and at the same time more religious sites for Pakistanis inside India,” the official was quoted as saying.

According to the official, about 10,000 Indian pilgrims visited different shrines in Pakistan while a fewer number went from Pakistan to India. “We will also be seeking to bring a balance in these numbers so that more Pakistanis can go to India,” he said.