Bilateral Agreement: Pakistan, India start talks on visa procedures
Meeting aims to replace hardline visa policies with a new accord facilitating the people of both countries.
ISLAMABAD:
The joint Pakistan-India working group held its first meeting on Thursday to discuss the Bilateral Visa Agreement in a bid to ease visa restrictions and procedures between the two countries.
An Indian delegation arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday to participate in the meeting of the working group formed with an aim to replace hard-line visa policies with a new accord facilitating the people of both countries in obtaining the travel permits.
The first phase of the session, chaired by Interior Secretary Qammaruz Zaman, deliberated on possibilities for easing the issuance of visas for artists and singers.
The group went on to discuss four types of visas – diplomatic, regional (specific for shrines and other religious sites), business and tourist visas, said officials. However, they added that the tourist visa was not part of the first round of talks.
The talks between the three-member delegation from India and their counterparts from Pakistan will conclude on Friday (today).
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2011.
The joint Pakistan-India working group held its first meeting on Thursday to discuss the Bilateral Visa Agreement in a bid to ease visa restrictions and procedures between the two countries.
An Indian delegation arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday to participate in the meeting of the working group formed with an aim to replace hard-line visa policies with a new accord facilitating the people of both countries in obtaining the travel permits.
The first phase of the session, chaired by Interior Secretary Qammaruz Zaman, deliberated on possibilities for easing the issuance of visas for artists and singers.
The group went on to discuss four types of visas – diplomatic, regional (specific for shrines and other religious sites), business and tourist visas, said officials. However, they added that the tourist visa was not part of the first round of talks.
The talks between the three-member delegation from India and their counterparts from Pakistan will conclude on Friday (today).
Published in The Express Tribune, June 3rd, 2011.