Indian envoy to Pakistan asks secretary to expedite visa process for citizen

NEW DELHI: Indian high commissioner to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale on Thursday met Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and discussed expediting the visa processes for Pakistani citizens visiting India and upgradation of facilities at the overcrowded Wagah border.

According to MHA, there has been a sharp rise in number of visa applications and they have been extremely cautious in granting visas to a Pakistani national. Due to lengthy process of verification and cross verification, it takes several months before a visa is granted or denied.

Bambawale is believed to have in formed the home secretary that there is a large number of visa cases pending at the high commission due to inordinate delay and a mechanism shall be devised to quicken the response time and decision on granting the visa.

A senior government official said they can expedite the process of visa in cases of frequent visitors. “A central database can be used to verify the details of those who come to India at regular intervals," he added.

Another official however said the delay is on the part of other agencies including Intelligence Bureau (IB) who rely on the feedback from State agencies in cases outside Del hi. "Post 2611, we have been extra cautious giving visa to a Pak national," said a senior official. After the NDA government came to power, the visa regime has been relaxed with e-TV visa now being facilitated to 150 countries.

MHA has also taken some countries like Iran out of the prior referral categories and is mulling a relaxed visa for it's another neighbours China in cases of research and conference visas.