Science camp: Indian HC grants urgent visas to Pak students

Issue resolved after The Express Tribune reported on students’ ordeal

ISLAMABAD: The Indian High Commission on Tuesday issued visas to Pakistani students, enabling them to participate in the 10th Asian Science Camp taking place in the Indian city of Bengaluru.

The delegation is likely to leave for India on Wednesday morning (today) through the Wagah border crossing.

The Pakistani government was mainly responsible for the delay in getting visas for the selected student. The Ministry of Interior had issued the NOC on August 22 -- one day after the event was started.



The Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) started the visa process on August 23. A day earlier, PSF spokesperson Rehana Batool told The Express Tribune that it was impossible for the students to get Indian visas because of stringent rules.

When contacted, an Indian diplomat told The Express Tribune that India always “encourages people-to-people contact”.

The diplomat, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said the high commission has decided to issue visas to the Pakistani students on an “urgent basis” after The Express Tribune reported the ordeal of the aspiring students.

When asked, the diplomat said the students could still attend the conference, although it has already been started.

“I think Pakistani students can still go and interact with Nobel laureates,” the diplomat added.

The Indian High Commission in its tweet while addressing Haris Ashraf, one of the participants of the Asian Science Camp said, “#HarisAshraf We received ur visa applications today @1pm & issued visa @3.30pm.

Your passports have been collected by Min of Foreign Affairs.”

The Asian Science camp has started from August 21 and will continue till August 27.

The delegation consists of four: Ahmad Sher Zaman from the Allama Iqbal Medical College/Jinnah hospital, Lahore, Muhammad Uzair, UET, Lahore, Amir Naveed from GIKI and Muhammad Harris from NED Karachi and Husnain an official from the PSF.

MNA Maryam Aurangzeb told The Express Tribune that Maryam Nawaz on behalf of the Prime Minister also took notice of the issue and directed the authorities concerned to expedite the process of getting visas for the students.



The students said, “It seems a miracle has happened. We almost lost all hopes but within 24 hours the impossible become the inevitable.”

The students will bear their travel expenses as the Pakistani government has only nominated them for the event.

The host of the Asian Science Camp awards scholarship to two participants from each country attending the camp, but they never give it to Pakistani students. We have to bear our travel expenses from our own pockets.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2016.