Pakistan urges US to relax visa curbs, exit 75-nation restrictive list

Dubai: A senior Pakistani parliamentary delegation has urged US lawmakers to remove Pakistan from a list of 75 countries facing stringent immigration visa restrictions, describing the classification as a major obstacle to people-to-people contact and broader diplomatic engagement.

Led by Senators Saleem H. Mandviwalla and Rana Mahmoodul Hassan, the delegation visited Washington to strengthen parliament-to-parliament relations and address key bilateral concerns, with visa access emerging as the central focus of discussions. Experts from trade, business and other sectors also accompanied the lawmakers, Dawn news reported.

The United States last week suspended the processing of immigrant visas from 75 countries. Pakistan’s inclusion on the restrictive list which subjects its citizens to heightened scrutiny and prolonged visa processing was repeatedly raised during meetings with members of the US Congress.

“Pakistan’s inclusion in the list of 75 countries whose nationals face visa difficulties is a serious issue. We hope this will soon be resolved and Pakistan’s name will be removed,” Mandviwalla said.

To support the case, Mandviwalla referred to advice from the US ambassador in Islamabad, who recommended clarifying to Congress that Pakistani Americans are largely self-reliant and do not depend on social welfare programmes.

Dr Gholam Mujtaba, head of the Pakistan Policy Institute USA, which organised the visit, noted that the Pakistani diaspora ranks among the 10 most prosperous demographic groups in the United States.

“I raised this key point with the lawmakers. They understood our position, and after these talks, I can say with confidence that Pakistan will be removed from the list,” added Mandviwalla.