Case-by-case basis: Panel wants visa policy to be reciprocal

Interior ministry, foreign office told to develop policies that reflect countries’ treatment of Pakistani citizens.


Peer Muhammad March 20, 2013
Interior ministry, foreign office told to develop policies that reflect countries’ treatment of Pakistani citizens. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD:


The Senate standing committee on interior urged the foreign office and the ministry of interior to craft a reciprocal visa policy for all countries, ensuring that foreign citizens are treated the same way as Pakistani citizens are treated in their country.


Chaired by Senator Talha Mehmood, the committee discussed Pakistan’s visa policy for different countries. Giving an example, Mehmood said that despite being a close friend of Pakistan, China’s government has a strict visa policy for Pakistani citizens.

“We should also follow China’s [example] and develop a strict visa policy for its citizens,” he said.

He explained that in China, if the visa of a Pakistani citizen expires, authorities charge Rs8,500 per day as overstay fees. To this, an official of the interior ministry, Mohammad Ashfaq Ghuman, said that Pakistan does not charge overstay fees for Chinese citizens for a period of 15 days, and when this period extends, there’s a dismal fee of $50 to be paid.

Ghuman added that Pakistan, however, practises a reciprocal visa policy for most countries.

Mehmood also brought up the issue of mistreatment of prisoners. He said that Pakistani prisoners in foreign jails are deprived of basic facilities, including having no access to halal food and stopped from practising their religion freely.

The committee also expressed concern over the absence of officials from the foreign ministry. They were summoned to brief the committee about Dr Afia Siddiqi’s case, as well as those of other Pakistani prisoners who are languishing in foreign jails.

Speaking about Dr Afia’s case, the interior ministry officials said that they have sought a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the US for signing a treaty for the transfer of convicted prisoners between the two countries, in a bid to repatriate Dr Afia.

To a question, Ghuman said that around 3,000 visas were issued to the US citizens from July 2010 till December 2012. Mehmood challenged this figure, and directed the interior ministry official to provide accurate information in this regard in the next meeting.

The chairman also asked officials of the interior and foreign ministry to provide accurate data about Pakistani prisoners.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2013.

 

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