Pakistan to set up new European-style surveillance for foreigners

Secretary of Foreign Ministry says they are closely monitoring the situation and might change visa regime soon

Government has decided to adopt American and European style surveillance to keep tracking the foreigners visiting Pakistan, Express News reported.

In the latest meeting of intra-provincial committee secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised the issue of Afghan students studying in various seminaries based in the country.

He briefed the committee on the links of these students with militancy in Pakistan on which the national security advisor said that there should be surveillance of all such students and on expiry of their visit visas they should be sent back to their homeland.



The secretary said they are closely monitoring the situation and might change the visa regime very soon.

During the meeting, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif expressed his wish that Pakistan should adopt a tracking system being used by the US and European countries to keep an eye on foreign visitors in the country.

He said that there is a dire need of having such tracking system which will be helpful in monitoring the movement of foreigners.

This comes after former interior minister Chaudry Nisar Ali Khan ordered in April immediate suspension of issuance of visas on arrival (landing permits) to foreigners to avoid any ‘irregularities’ in the database.

Addressing a high-level meeting held at the Ministry of Interior, he had asked the participants for strict implementation of rules and regulations in the ministry and its attached departments.

The interior minister also ordered the Ministry of Interior to revise and update visa rules.