Pakistan government will introduce a new e-visa category to promote business and tourism-based travel in Pakistan which will also be applicable to Indian origin people. The new e-visa by Government of Pakistan is bound to increase trade and tourism in Pakistan.
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This initiative rules out inconvenient visa requirements like approaching Pakistani consulates or registering with the police. Now, persons of Indian origin will be able to apply online and get a visa in seven working days like other preferred foreign nationals.
A senior Ministry of Interior official, who did not wish to be named, informed: “The decision is based purely on economic considerations”.
PM Imran Khan’s economic revival plan includes engagement with top multi-nationals for advisory as well as investment linkages. And the hard visa processes for persons of Indian origin will affect the investment linkages.
“There was a clear bias in our visa policy when Indians are concerned, but at the end of the day it would have been counter-productive for us,” the official added.
Currently, the visa form has two boxes: current nationality and country of origin and the Ministry of Interior believes that if the former is neutral, the latter is not a problem even if it is marked India. “Even our embassies have reported that second- or third-generation foreign nationals are working professionals in their fields and not politically motivated; hence there is no security threat,” the official said.
Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan has accepted the ministry’s proposal at one of his recent cabinet meetings and will implement the same in the coming weeks.
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