Indo-Pak discussion on new visa agreement to continue

From Rezaul H Laskar
Islamabad, June 3 (PTI) India and Pakistan Friday said
they would continue discussions on a new visa agreement in
August so that the pact could be finalised at the next meeting
of their Home and Interior Secretaries.
At the end of a two-day meeting of the Joint Working
Group on visa issues in Islamabad, the two sides announced
that they had agreed to continue discussions on amendments in
the existing visa agreement at the group's next meeting to be
held in New Delhi before the end of August.
The two sides said in a joint statement that they
would work for the finalisation of the new visa agreement at
the next meeting of the Home and Interior Secretaries to be
held in Islamabad.
The statement did not say when the secretary-level
talks would be held.
The two sides also discussed "details and modalities
of visa facilitation with a view to easing travel for
nationals of either country desiring to visit the other", the
statement said.
An Indian official, who did not want to be named, told
PTI the two sides focussed on ways to facilitate travel by
citizens of both countries "within the existing regime".
The statement said the discussions were held in a
"friendly and cordial atmosphere".
This was the first meeting of the Joint Working Group,
which was formed in pursuance of a decision made during the
meeting of the Home and Interior Secretaries in New Delhi
during March 28-29.
The Indian delegation at the talks was led by G V V
Sarma, Joint Secretary (Foreigners) in the Ministry of Home
Affairs, while the Pakistani side was led by Nasar Hayat,
Additional Secretary in the Interior Ministry.
India and Pakistan have restrictive visa regimes that
limit the locations which can be visited by citizens of both
countries.
Though Pakistani visa applications dipped sharply due
to tensions generated by the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, India
has issued more visas in recent years than the Pakistani side.
Over the past few years, India has granted between
80,000 and one lakh visas annually.
The figure for the Pakistani side has hovered between
20,000 and 40,000, official sources said.