ISLAMABAD – Members of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs discussed the issue of the issuance of Pakistani visas to Afghans and stressed tough checks in this regard.
The lawmakers who met on Monday emphasized fixing the number of Pakistani visas to Afghan citizens and strict checks on the issuance of illegal visas.
The committee meeting was chaired by Mohsin Dawar and received briefings from officials of the foreign ministry and the interior ministry on the issuance of visas to Afghan citizens.
During the meeting, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) officials informed the legislators that since January 1, 2022, over 900,000 Afghans submitted visa applications, out of which more than 375,000 visas were granted while over 351,000 were rejected.
The officials explained that over 102,000 applications were in process, adding that more than 32,000 visas were canceled for various reasons, including overstay.
‘650,000 visas were processed on an annual basis,’ FIA officials told the committee members.
On the occasion, Interior Ministry officials informed the committee that they had no role in the entry visas for the Afghans, as the ministry only processed the study visa, while the other matters were dealt with by the foreign ministry.
The chair remarked that some visas were issued in minutes, while others took weeks. Salahuddin Ayubi, who was specially invited to the meeting, claimed that on payment of $1,500, a visa could be issued on the same day, Express Tribune reported.
Ayubi disclosed that 10,000-15,000 people cross over the Chaman border crossing every day to go to work in Afghanistan in the morning and return to Pakistan in the evening.
‘Rs1 million was demanded for the admission of a female student,’ he claimed to the surprise of many.
During the meeting, Mahnaz Akbar stressed the need for fixing the number of visas, adding that in the prevailing circumstances, the country could not bear the burden of Afghan citizens.
Another committee member Mohammad Khan emphasized the need for the identification of those elements involved in the issuance of illegal visas. The committee also directed the ministries to submit detailed reports on these matters in the next meeting.
The issue of Afghan men not getting citizenship after marrying Pakistani women was also discussed by lawmakers. Committee chairperson Mohsin Dawar said that granting citizenship to women after marrying Pakistani men but not granting citizenship to men after marrying Pakistani women was discriminatory.
