New Delhi: On the occasion of Independence Day, the Ministry of External Affairs announced that India will provide medical visas to all bona fide Pakistan patients.
In a tweet on Tuesday, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said: "On the auspicious occasion of India's Independence day, we will grant a medical visa in all bonafide cases pending with us."
On the auspicious occasion of India's Independence day, we will grant medical visa in all bonafide cases pending with us. @IndiainPakistan
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) August 15, 2017
As ties between the two countries soured over various issues, the ministry had announced in May that only a letter of recommendation by Pakistan Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz will enable a Pakistani national to get a medical visa for India.
The action was termed "highly regrettable" by Islamabad, who said that asking for a letter from the Foreign Affairs Adviser was "against diplomatic norms" and that "such a requirement has not been prescribed for any other country".
However, on July 18, a patient from Pakistan-administered Kashmir, seeking treatment in New Delhi for a liver tumour, was granted a visa.
Swaraj said that he needed no recommendation from the Pakistan government for a medical visa because the territory is "an integral part of India".
