Visa-free regime not a possibility

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government is unlikely to agree to a visa-free regime for Indians during the upcoming Indo-Pak talks in Islamabad, as it believes such a step could jeopardise the existing frame work of relations between the two countries, besides having negative bearings on its position on the issue of Jammu & Kashmir.

Foreign office sources in Islamabad say the Indian side had been pressing Pakistan to establish a complete visa-free regime. While holding broad-based consultations with a group of former Pakistani foreign ministers, foreign secretaries and former envoys to India to formulate Islamabad’s position before Pranab Mukherjee’s arrival, sources say, the government decided to liberalise visa system but not without ruling out the possibility of having complete visa-free regime with India as long as some thorny issues like Kashmir continue to exist between the two neighbours.

The sources said a visa-free regime will be one of the key themes during talks between the tow countries. The visa regime in both countries is governed by the provisions of the Indo-Pak Visa Agreement, 1974 (amended from time to time).

Initially, under the agreement, the different categories of visas included diplomatic, non-diplomatic, officials, visitor and transit visa were issued. The first three categories of visa were directly issued by the foreign office and the remaining two by the home or internal security department of the respective countries. The main category, that is visitor visa, is meant for social visits and also covers businessmen.