Even the topmost Indian official in Pakistan, high commissioner, Gautam Bambawale, seems oblivious to the reasons behind this drastic cut of 50% in visa approvals and has pleaded the government to ascertain the reasons and convey them to him as he does not know what to say back in Pakistan.
At a time when India and Pakistan are talking about increasing people to people contact to normalise relations, the Modi government seems to have done the opposite by drastically cutting down visas given to Pakistani nationals but, interestingly, has not kept its own officials in the loop.
Even the topmost Indian official in Pakistan, high commissioner, Gautam Bambawale, seems oblivious to the reasons behind this drastic cut of 50% in visa approvals and has pleaded the government to ascertain the reasons and convey them to him as he does not know what to say back in Pakistan.
In his letter titled "drastic reduction in visas issued to Pakistan nationals" dated June 13, 2016 to union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, high commissioner Bambawale says, "…in 2014 and 2015 the proportion of visas rejected was very low. In 2016, it has risen to 50%. The number of visa rejections has increased substantially for no obvious reasons. Many Pakistanis have been pointing this out to me."
According to details given in the letter, the number of visas issued has come down drastically by 50% in just one year. In the period from January 1 to May 31, the visas issued in 2015 were 31,974 but in the same period in 2016 the number came down sharply to 17, 490.
Similarly, the rejection of visas to Pakistani nationals also saw a quantum jump. While in 2014, a total of 8910 visas got rejected out of 50,338 applications, in 2015, the number of rejected visas spiralled to 9335 out of 38,557 applications. In 2016, a whopping 17581 visas applications got rejected out of a total of 33191.
Explaining the hopeless situation his is in, Bambawale pleads, "I would be grateful if reasons for the drastic increase in rejected visa can be ascertained and conveyed to me. If there is no plausible reason for drastic visa reductions please do help in ensuring that the proportion of rejected visas is retained."
Officials contacted by this reporter in the union home ministry were as clueless about the reasons as was the high commissioner.
One source, however, said, "Though nothing has been spelt out clearly, directions have been issued to the agencies to strictly vet the antecedents of Pakistani nationals after terror attack on Pathankot airbase. But this should have been explained to the high commissioner. It reflect badly on government."
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