Pakistan announces new Visa Policy for Afghans
MATRIX REPORT
As Afghanistan’s chief peace negotiator Dr.Abdullah Abdullah spent a second busy day in Islamabad, Pakistan’s federal cabinet led by PM Imran Khan Tuesday approved a new liberal visa policy for Afghan citizens. The new policy will make obtaining of visas easier for Afghan visitors, allowing them multiple entry visit visas and long term business, investmemt and student visas.
A new category of health visa is also introduced which will be issued on border. Pakistan Embassy and Consulates in Afghanistan will resume issuance of visas immediately. Pakistan Embassy in Kabul and three consulates in Afghanistan will resume issuance of visas immediately.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, on his first formal visit to Islamabad , stressed the need to seize the historic opportunity for peaceful settlement of the Afghan quagmire. Addressing a gathering of former ambassadors, intellectuals and officials at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI). Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was also among the dignitaries.
Dr.Abdullah underlined the need for all neighbours of Afghanistan to think out of box for sustainable peace in Afghanistan. He also cautioned against the potential spoilers of the peace process and urged to move beyond the hackneyed pleasantries by finding new approaches for peace.
This according to him, can be achieved only through admitting past mistakes and charting clearly out of troubled waters. There are no winners in war and no losers in a peaceful settlement and now that the ice has been broken, continuing the peace effort until its successful conclusion is a shared responsibility of all, remarked the leader.
The Chairman hoped his visit would mark the beginning of a new era of bilateral relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan, based on mutual respect and sincere cooperation, ensuring prosperity for all. At another occasion, the Afghan leader while meeting the Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, also acknowledged the latter’s keen interest and active involvement in facilitating across the border movement of both people and goods, aimed at strengthening the ties between the two states.
The dignitary praised the head of the parliament and said his keen interest in the issues dogging the bilateral relations was reassuring and hoped that legislation and administrative measures would also reflect that.
(Under arrangement with the Afghan Studies Center (ASC), Islamabad)
