India warns Pakistan visa applicants over fake polio certificates

ISLAMABAD: India has warned Pakistani visa applicants to refrain from producing fake polio-vaccination certificates, saying it will lead to the rejection of visa applications and a possible permanent ban on the travel to India.

The Indian High Commission issued a statement yesterday warning that such visa applications would be rejected and the applicants permanently denied entry to India.

India, a polio free country, declared polio certification as mandatory since January 30 for anyone applying for visa to its High Commission in Islamabad.

"It has been reported that forged polio certificates are being submitted with India visa applications. This is a serious offence. Detection of any forged documentation would result in summary rejection of the visa application and permanent denial of visa for future travel also," the statement said.

The Indian High Commission in Pakistan said that fake polio vaccination document would result in summary rejection of the visa application and permanent ban on future visits to India.

The officials already detected several forged polio certificates with visa applications which were ultimately rejected.

Pakistan along with Nigeria and Afghanistan is a country where polio-virus is endemic.

The country has already detected 202 fresh polio cases this year, breaking a 14-year record of 199 victims in a single year.

The WHO in May imposed travel restrictions on people travelling from Pakistan to other countries.

India was the only country which imposed such restriction even before the WHO took action against Pakistan.

Pakistan has introduced polio certification counters at airports and government hospitals but people try to avoid vaccination due to long held belief that anti-polio vaccination was a conspiracy by the west.

Taliban militants regularly attack polio workers and their police escorts to discourage anti-polio campaigns.