ISLAMABAD: Over 50,000 visas were issued to American citizens by the Pakistani embassy in Washington under various categories between 2008 and 2011, according to the foreign ministry.
Of the total 52,094 visas issued, 13,115 visas were categorised as those for diplomats and other senior officials. As many as 2,202 visas to US officials and diplomats were given between 2009 and 2011, after approval from Pakistan’s defence ministry.
The information was provided to members of the Senate on Thursday by the foreign ministry to a question put by Senator SM Zafar, from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid. Zafar has also sought details of American citizens who were given visas on the recommendation of the Pakistani embassy or mission, security agencies or the secretariats of the president and prime minister.
Responding to a question by Jamaat-i-Islami’s Senator Professor Khurshid Ahmed, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said that approximately 180,817 Pakistani immigrants have been deported from different countries in the past three years.
COMMENTS (11)
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I hope they are not CIA contractors, like Raymond Davis and other terrorists like him.
@TsunamiLota: "That’s over 50000 CIA agents in Pakistan. Why else would American citizens visit us?"
A large proportion of these probably are US citizens of Pak origin returning to Pakistan with family on a vaction to spend time with friends and family.
Also there are a number of Americans who work in NGOs in order to implement the aid sanctioned via Kerry Lugar.
@Cautious: "So visa’s should be based on the color of your skin?" I hardly think that Mirzaji was implying that the visa process should make the distinction. I think he was implying that by including Pak origina US citizens who may have got a visa in the number without making the clarification, it might appear that a lot of CIA type peopel were given permits to enter USA when in fact the bulk of these could very well beUS citizens of Pak origin and their families returning home to meet friends and families
@Mohammad Ali Siddiqui: A detail report should also be sought from the Pakistani Embassy in Washington as well as from all the Consulates working in the US who were authorized to issue visas.
Do you really believe that an embassy is a private domain of the ambassador who runs it by his whims? The Foreign Ministry in Islamabad does not only determines visa issuing policies but keeps periodically receiving a diplomatic bag, carried personally by a courier which contains among other reports, particulars of visa recipients and how much fee did they pay? The embassies get surprise visits from the dreaded auditors who answer only to Islamabad.
The reasons for cynicism are in place but its not tea sipping and samosa munching day in and day out.
That's over 50000 CIA agents in Pakistan. Why else would American citizens visit us?
@Miza
So visa's should be based on the color of your skin?
It would seem that Pakistani's are not anxious to return to Pakistan -- can you blame them?
Hussain Haqqani should be called in the parliament to reply to the queries. He was Ambassador of Pakistan during this period and no one else.
A detail report should also be sought from the Pakistani Embassy in Washington as well as from all the Consulates working in the US who were authorized to issue visas.
Time to bring Haqqani Back!
The relationship should be on reciprocal basis. Both countries should issue equal number of visas to the other country. This would end the blame game and make it open and fair. Many of the US citizens who got Pakistani visas are of Pakistan origin and they should not be lumped with the others.
we can say thank you to hussain haqqani for this..