NA panel not given reports on visa processes

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs on Friday expressed its strong concerns over the alleged corruption in the visa process for Afghan citizens.

In the last meeting, the parliamentary body asked the foreign affairs and interior ministries as well as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to furnish reports on the loopholes in the visa processes.

On Friday, the committee’s chairman, MNA Mohsin Dawar, on the absence of the reports sought, expressed grave concerns and questioned the reason behind not following the body’s directives.

The chairman said the fragmentation of the mandate in the issuance of visas and lack of presentation of the reports to parliament was tantamount to hiding corrupt practices in the processes.

The NA panel again directed the two ministries and FIA to present the reports within two days.

The two ministries maintained that visa approval was subject to clearance from the security agencies and assured the committee that the reports would be submitted to it at the earliest.

Referring to the recent visit of a parliamentary delegation to China, the committee instructed the officials of the foreign affairs ministry to seek an explanation from the Pakistan’s ambassador to China for reportedly not even bothering to meet or facilitate the team there.

The members of the NA panel noted that the delegation had held high-level meetings with Chinese officials and business leaders in the absence of any support or facilitation from the Pakistani embassy officials.

The members of the committee wanted the foreign affairs ministry to brief it on the Greece migrant boat disaster and the efforts undertaken for the Pakistani citizens on board.

Dawar sought a report from the interior ministry on human smuggling as well as the institutional efforts and initiatives undertaken to prevent it.

The committee also directed the foreign affairs ministry to present a complete report on the online attestation of the power of attorney.

Apart from Chairman Dawar, committee members MNAs Muhammad Khan Daha, Maiza Hameed, Muhammad Abu Bakar, Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, and Mehnaz Akbar Aziz also attended the meeting.

During an earlier huddle of the committee, Dawar said exploiting the vulnerabilities of Afghan citizens was an inhuman act.

The members of the panel noted that corruption ran rampant in the absence of a clear policy, procedural hurdles, and bureaucratic discretion.

They claimed that the sponsor and invitation letters on their official letterheads were completely disregarded, while those who bribed the officials easily secured the visa within no time.