Pakistan and India to discuss new visa regime
Local Thursday, October 30th, 2008Pakistan and India will enter into yet another agreement on new visa regime after thorough discussions at senior official level, official sources said here yesterday.
It has been agreed that India would purpose a draft agreement to be discussed by the two sides at the upcoming fifth round of Composite Dialogue.
Currently Pakistan and India are issuing visas under sheer ‘courtesy’ as the outdated visa agreement of 1974 is no more operational for practical purposes, diplomatic sources say.
Pakistan had earlier proposed a draft agreement for establishment of permanent visa regime but Indian did not agree to it and offered to purpose another one, the sources said.
Pakistan and India are issuing visas to the divided families and businessmen as a matter of routine but no other classification is getting benefit out of the two way bilateral arrangements. Both nations are supposed to enter into dialogue with a view to establishing visa free regime between them.Diplomatic observers are hopeful that the two countries will be able to reach at least one agreement on liberalisation of visa regime that would be a landmark improvement in their ties.
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on Oct 30 2008. Filed under