Share this article
Print this page
Email a friend
- RSS
- Today's Paper
- Subscribe
- beta 2.0
High: 33°C
Low: 27°C
Alerts
Forget about visiting India
After all of documents are provided, the visa process can take anywhere from 8 to 16 weeks, with no guarantee.
KARACHI: Recently, our government granted MFN (Most Favoured Nation) status to India. But to visit any relative who lives in our ‘most favoured’ neighbour, the Indian government requires all applicants from Pakistani to provide the following documents: 1. A sponsorship certificate from one’s relative in India, attested by a police officer not less than the rank of commissioner. 2. A copy of an electricity bill of the relative’s residence in India. 3. A copy of the telephone bill of the relative. 4. A copy of the relative’s ‘PAN’ card (Permanent Account Number, which is used for voting purposes). 5. A character certificate of the applicant issued from his or her area police station.
Apart from this there are the usual requirements such as salary/bank statement, letter of employment from one’s organisation, a minimum salary requirement of Rs25,000 per month and so on.
After all of this is provided, the visa process can take anywhere from eight to sixteen weeks, and there is no guarantee that it will be given.
In other words, Pakistani nationals having relatives in India should not even dream of visiting their loved ones.
M Rafique Zakaria
Published in The Express Tribune, February 4th, 2012.
Read more:
indiaMFN
Reader Comments (15)
Latest News
The drones club
Terrorists are not there because of drone attacks but precisely the opposite: they continue due to homicidal fanatics.
Miasma of terrorism in Pakistan also targets India: Nirupama Rao
SM Krishna also confirms late July visit to Pakistan.
CJP urges reforms in family laws, ensure provision of inexpensive, quick justice
Commission decides to demand additional grant in next budget to increased strength of judges, staff, infrastructure.
No decision on Nato route yet, despite US container crossing border: Rehman Malik
Malik says negotiations with US over the route are still going on, reopening remains linked to stopping drone attacks.
NATO chief urges Pakistan to help stabilise Afghanistan
Rasmussen said he would "convey a couple of clear messages," when he meets Zardari, but he did not elaborate.
Recent Slideshows
More in Letters
Powers of arrest
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed or derived from.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is copyrighted © 2012 The Express Tribune News Network.
Technical feedback? webmaster@tribune.com.pk
So why not get these certificates? After all, PAK people submit similar formalities when they apply for US visa, though not police character certificate. Getting visa is a privilege and not the right and after what has happened to India, would you blame them.
If I remember correctly Indian PM took a bus to PAK and in return PAK shelled Kargil, and dispatched proxies as far as south of India to bomb trains.
If India refuses to re-issue visa to Musharaff, then people has to understand the serious concern of India.
PS: PAK granting of MFN(not done, yet) is a statutory obligation of PAK under WTO and was long overdue to India.
Recommend
@M Rafique Zakaria
Sir,most sincerely,I request you to respond to @John B’s concerns.
I would like to mention that there are several instance of Pakistani visitors entering India on valid visas and there after disappearing on official records.I wonder what they are doing in India?
Recommend
Has MFN status been granted to India by Pakistan?
Recommend
Indian visa processing system is a complete, unmitigated disaster … Having successfully got the visas this time … based on the entire experience … it is basically a shoddy attempt to copy the US visa system … with a very poorly designed software … the babus sitting in the backoffice are not yet trained, and the business process is not aligned properly … I think it will be quite some time before the whole process is aligned (at a glacial pace of bureauracy) … so, while the expectations get raised to a world-class experience … like most things in India – the reality is a 180 degrees divergent … back end is still in the 1940s …
Recommend
Indian visa processing system is a complete, unmitigated disaster … Having successfully got the visas this time … based on the entire experience … it is basically a shoddy attempt to copy the US visa system … with a very poorly designed software … the babus sitting in the backoffice are not yet trained, and the business process is not aligned properly … I think it will be quite some time before the whole process is aligned (at a glacial pace of bureauracy) … so, while the expectations get raised to a world-class experience … like most things in India – the reality is a 180 degrees divergent … back end is still in the 1940s …Recommend
@ M Rafique Zakaria:
Hi you seem to be quite an intelligent Pakistani.. I am sure you would know what it means when a goverment has guidelines such as this.But let me clear it again for you. It simply means that not even a single PAKISTANI is welcomed here in India.. So, pakistanis should get a whiff and stop applying and stop embarassing themselves.. :)
Recommend
We need to look into this matter with a broader perspective. The current visa policy is nearly four decades old. Yes, I do agree that there is a need for change in the visa policy between India and Pakistan. During Oct 2011 both governments have finalized the draft of revised visa agreement which is awaiting approval of respective governments.
Hope that sooner or later it will be operational. Check the link below:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2541060.eceRecommend
I would like to inform John B that I am not a politician or a minister in present Pakistan government. I was purely talking on people to people contact. My wife happens to be Indian national by birth from Pune. She lost her father and mother while they were under treatment in hospitals for 2-3 weeks but the Indian government did not show any leniency to its own citizen. Was it because she is married to a Pakistani national. Pakistan Embassy in Islamabad don’t demand so many documents from Indians seeking Pakistani visa. Thousand of Sikhs are given visas every year for attending religious functions in Nankana Saheb.
I don’t know how old is John B, but let me inform him that there are divided families in India and Pakistan. It hurts when governments stop you from seeing your loved ones particularly when they are sick and doctors have no hope of life for them. Wish John B could feel our sentiments.
M. RAFIQUE ZAKARIA
Karachi
Recommend
kindly correct the error in point 4 of ur article PAN is used for income tax purpose & not for voting . For voting Indians have Voter card. Regd Visa formalities we both neighbours have the same formalities. would request you kindly check on ur side
Recommend
@Karan:
“It simply means that not even a single PAKISTANI is welcomed here in India.. So, pakistanis should get a whiff and stop applying and stop embarassing themselves.. :)”
That is a very sad comment. Indians and India do welcome well-meaning Pakistanis to visit India. The strict procedures for Indian visas for Pakistanis is in place due to valid terrorism concerns emanating from Pakistan. I would have agreed with you if you qualified your statement to mean “no terrorists and extremists” from Pakistan are welcome in India.
Just closing down the doors to the country is not in the interest for long-term peace. Only people to people contacts can slowly erode historical distrust between the two countries.
Recommend
@M.R@fique Zakaria:
You are mistaken. Pakistani embassy delayed giving visa to someone wanting to take UCIMLE in Lahore; they gave after such a long delay that the examination date ws over.
Recommend
Many of those pakistanis reported to have not returned after entering india are actually hindus fleeing pakistan for obvious reasons. Nobody clears these figures.Recommend
My friend, a Pakistani Catholic, applied for a visit visa to India. He was going to Bombay for a good friend’s wedding. He got the visa 14 months later, in time for the baptism of the baby.
Recommend
@M.R@fique Zakaria:
Ask your relatives to migrate to Pakistan. After all Pakistan was created based on insular idea of a country based on religion.
Recommend
@M.R@fique Zakaria:
My sympathies, but I speak in broader terms only. Your questions should be addressed to PAK ministry. The correction to the matter at your end is in PAK.
By international law VISA procedures are mutual between the countries involved.(essentially tit for tat in concept). The Indian families might be facing the same situation in their visit to PAK, which you may not be aware of.
The plight of the divided families and families who marry cross border are the same everywhere if there are no good diplomatic relations between the countries.
If Bangladesh and Sri Lanka can mediate an effective VISA policies with India and vice versa , why not PAK with India, in your context.
PAK people should press their Govt rather than blaming India, as Indian should press their govt rather than blaming PAK.
My advice to cross border families is always keep your ViSA current having known the situations.
Recommend