Transparency urged in visa processing for Afghan citizens

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, irked by the alleged lack of transparency in visa processing for Afghan citizens, has stressed greater transparency in visa applications and approvals.

The committee has sought separate reports from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, and the FIA to identify the loopholes and subsequently root out corruption in the visa processes.

The meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee was held under the chair of its Chairman Moshin Dawar and was attended by MNAs Muhammad Khan Daha, Ms. Zahra Wadood Fatimi, Nawab Sher, Ms. Mehnaz Akbar Aziz, Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, and Ghulam Ali Talpur MNAs. MNA Salahuddin Ayubi attended the meeting as a special invitee.

Chairman of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Mohsin Dawa commenting on the opacity and corruption said that exploiting the vulnerabilities of Afghans was inhuman.

The members of the committee said that in the absence of clear policy, procedural hurdles, bureaucratic discretion, and corruption run rampant.

The members alleged that the sponsor and invitation letters on their official letterheads were completely disregarded, while those who bribed the officials easily secured the visa within no time.

They stressed that security concerns may be taken into consideration; however, the process should be transparent, relaxed, and streamlined. A special invitee to the meeting, MNA Salahud Din said that such corrupt practices caused grave damage to bilateral relations.

Given the fragmented mandate of various government entities with regard to visas for Afghan citizens, the committee desired a mapping of who is responsible for visa approval and issuance.

It was informed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the issuing authority, however, the issuance is subject to clearance from other entities of the government of Pakistan.

It was outlined that visa issuance is subject to clearance from the intelligence agencies, and the mandated period is 30-plus days.

The committee was apprised that the Ministry of Interior issued only student visas and maintained a data repository.