Asif Ali Zardari visit holds hope for new visa protocol

Are you a businessman having an income less than half-a-million Pakistani rupees or an annual turnover less than 3 million Pakistani rupees? If yes, you don’t come under the ‘definition’ of a businessman, as per the new visa draft agreement accessed by DNA.

Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to Delhi and Ajmer on April 8 is expected to set the stage for a new visa protocol, pending operationalisation for over a year now, but it’s likely to cause some heartburn over the new rules for the business visa category.

The agreement, which has increased visa categories to nine — diplomatic, non-diplomatic, officials, visitor, transit, group tourist, business, pilgrim and visa on arrival — will close doors for small traders to do cross-border business because of the ‘definition’.
A businessman will get a visa for a year for five places and will be allowed four entries, while one with an income of at least Rs5 million or a turnover of Rs30 million will be given a one-year multiple entry business visa for up to 10 places.

But there are some favourable changes in other categories.
Under the visitor visa category, with a six-month validity, one can visit five specified places. Those aged above 65, below 12, and those married in each other’s countries, and living there, will get a visa for up to two years with multiple entries. Senior citizens can also get a 45-day single entry visa on arrival at the Attari/Wagah checkpost.