Pakistan urges restoration of missions to full strength

Karachi Pakistan yesterday asked India to agree to restoration of normal staff strength at the High Commissions of the two countries to pave the way for opening of visa camps on a reciprocal basis.

A foreign ministry official made the proposal while commenting on the Indian High Commissioner's statement that New Delhi was awaiting a response from Islamabad to set up a visa camp in the Pakistani port city of Karachi.

The official said Pakistan had conveyed to India on numerous occasions that the issue of setting up of visa camps was linked to restoration of normal strength of the respective missions, but it Islamabad had not received a response as yet.

He pointed out that the existing strength at the missions in New Delhi and Islamabad was barely sufficient to cope with visa requirements in the respective capitals.

Earlier, Indian High Commissioner Shivshankar Menon said that New Delhi awaits a response from Pakistan regarding allowing its visa office in Karachi to give easy travel facilities to its residents.

Indian government proposed the opening up of a visa office in Karachi in February, promising that it can set up a temporary mission within days.

This generated a lot of excitement in Karachi where most of the people of families divided between Indian and Pakistan live.

People intending to travel to India have to go all the way to Islamabad to get an Indian visa, which increases the cost of their visit.

Menon said so far Pakistan had not responded to this proposal.

He, however, said that the Indian government had taken steps to help businessmen get visas as early as possible.

"We guarantee issuing visas to businessmen within 21 days – even earlier, if visa applications are backed by the chambers of commerce and industries," he told a gathering in Karachi on Tuesday.

The possibility of the issuance of tourist visas would be discussed in June and July at meetings between foreign secretaries and ministers of the two countries, he said.