Heading for greener pastures: Afghan Consulate delays visas to Pakistani labourers

Disappointed applicants outside Peshawar Press Club blame police for taking bribes.

PESHAWAR: Pakistani skilled workers wanting to travel to Afghanistan for employment opportunities are disappointed with the staff at the Afghan Consulate in Peshawar for delaying visas.

Applicants staged a protest outside the Peshawar Press Club and alleged that police personnel on duty at the consulate were demanding bribes for the visa process.

The protestors, who demand a more transparent process, complained that while Afghan nationals can easily enter Pakistan, Pakistanis have to face much difficulty in obtaining visas.

They said the Afghan government should take the initiative to increase the number of visas issued to Pakistani nationals since the number of applicants is increasing daily.

Muhammad Zafar, hailing from Gujranwala and skilled in fixing printing machines, said that he and 25 of his friends waited for a week to get a one-month visa to Afghanistan, but still haven’t gotten any response from consulate officials.

He also alleged that police personnel dressed in plain clothes roam around the consulate offering illegal services for Rs5,000, while the visa fee is only Rs35.

“By working in Afghanistan, a skilled worker like me can earn thrice as much as that in Pakistan, which is why I want to go there. I will come here again next week,” he said.

Ilyas Khan and Ibrahim Khan, who were part of the protest, also complained of difficulties in getting a one-month visa to Afghanistan.

More than 60,000 Pakistani nationals are working in Afghanistan and engaged in rebuilding the war-torn country. However, Pakistani expatriates often face ill-treatment and discrimination by Afghan security forces and other officials.

Officials at Afghanistan’s embassy in Islamabad and the Afghan Consulate in Peshawar were unavailable for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2012.