Pakistan to ease visa policy for business people, confirms PM Kakar

ISLAMABAD - In an effort to attract investors and promote business, Pakistan's caretaker regime has decided to ease the visa policy for businessmen. 

In this regard, Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar directed on Saturday to ease the visa policy for businessmen while he was chairing the fifth apex committee meeting of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in Islamabad.

The prime minister said the government would ensure the easy provision of visas to businessmen, adding that Pakistan was entering a new era with these measures.

People related to investment institutions will also have easy access to visas in this regard, the premier said.

Addressing a joint press conference alongside other ministers after the SIFC meeting, Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani announced that the government would issue long-term visas to the business community on investment.

Although further details on the matter are yet to be finalized by the respective ministries and departments, experts are of the opinion that the businessmen would be prioritized in granting visas. 

Besides the visa issue, the caretaker foreign minister said the country’s trade with all the countries increased during the recent months, adding that SIFC’s key objective was addressing investors’ problems.

The minister said the government is taking steps to remove the problems of foreign investors.

“Pakistan’s defence, political and economic ties [with the world] are improving,” he elaborated.

Minister Jilani opined that like China, Pakistan also had close trade relations with the US, adding that Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has also shown interest in investment in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti said the Interior Ministry has made the visa policy business-friendly and investors will be given visas on easy terms.