India and Pakistan have signed the much-awaited
liberalized visa agreement, introducing for the first time group tourist and pilgrim
visas, separate visa for businessmen and visa on arrival for those over 65
years of age.
The new pact, signed between External Affairs
Minister SM Krishna and Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik, replaces a
38-year-old restrictive visa agreement and will pave the way for time-bound
visa approval and greater people to people contacts and boost trade. While
there was no time-frame for issuance of non-diplomatic visas, the new pact says
that visa has to be issued with a period of not exceeding 45 days of
application.
Terms and
Benefits
Under the new regime, one can visit five places
instead of the three at present and those above 65 years of age and children
below 12 years of age and "eminent" businessmen are exempted from
police reporting.
Under the category of visitor visa, earlier only
single entry visa for three months used to be issued for meeting relatives,
friends, business or other legitimate purpose. Moreover, visa could be only
issued for longer period not exceeding one year if owing to the nature of work
or business.
Under the new pact, single entry visa is to be issued
for six months but stay should not exceed three months at a time and for five
places.
Under a new Category II, a visitor visa for a maximum
five specified places may be issued for a longer period, up to two years with
multiple entries to senior citizens (those above 65 years), spouses of a
national of one country married to a person of another country and children
below 12 years of age accompanying parents as given earlier.
The new group tourist visa will be issued for not
less than 10 people and not more than 50 people. This visa will be valid for 30
days and will have to be applied through tour operators, registered by the two
governments.
New
Group Tourist Visa
The new Group Tourist visa will be issued
for not less than 10 people and not more than 50 people. This visa will be
valid for 30 days and will have to be applied through tour operators,
registered by the two governments.
The Group Tourist visa facility will also
be available to students of educational institutions of both countries.
However, this will be a tourist visa only and not for seeking admission in
educational institutions of either country. There are two categories for
Business visa. Businessmen with an income of Pakistan Rupees half million or
equivalent per annum or annual turnover/gross sale of Pakistan Rupees three
million or equivalent will be given one year business visa, with five places
for up to four entries.
In Category II, businessmen with an income
of at least Pakistan Rupees five million or equivalent per annum or turnover of
Pakistan Rupees thirty million or equivalent per annum will be given one year
multiple entry business visas for Upton ten places, with exemption from police
reporting.
The visa shall specify that the period of
stay of the businessman at a time shall not exceed 30 days. The maximum time
taken in processing of a business visa will not exceed more than five weeks.
Visits
to Religious Shrines
In what would be a real joy for people
from both sides who want to visit religious places across the border, Pilgrim
visas will be issued to those intending to visit religious shrines as per the
1974 Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines, or any future revision to the
Protocol.
Such visas will need to be applied at
least 45 days before the commencement of the intended tour. The visas will be
issued at least ten days before the commencement of travel. These visas will be
issued for a single entry, restricted to 15 days validity and would be non-extendable.
Under the new pact, persons of more than
65 years of age will be given visa on arrival at Attari/Wagha checkpoint for 45
days. This visa will be non-extendable and non-convertible.
Earlier, people had to enter and exit
through the same route and have to use same mode of travel for onward and
return journey. Exemptions were made on case to case basis. However, under the
new scheme, people can enter and exit from different check posts and change in
mode of travel will also be permitted.
Checkpoints
for Traveling by Air
However, this is subject to the exception
that Exit from Wagah/Attari, by road (on Foot) cannot be accepted, unless the
entry was also by foot via Attari/Wagah. The checkpoints for those traveling by
air has changed. While earlier, one could fly in at Mumbai, Delhi
and Amritsar , under the new pact, one can fly in
at Mumbai, Delhi
With respect to police registration, the
new pact says that bona fide businessmen, not in exemption from police
reporting (EPR) category, may depute their authorized representatives for
reporting.
The new visa agreement was supposed to be
signed in May during the Home/Interior Secretary-levels talks held here but got
postponed after Pakistan
Greater
Understanding
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has said the
time has come for India and Pakistan
He said that finding amicable and just solutions to
resolve outstanding issues was important for Pakistan
and India
Multifaceted cooperation between the two sides is
imperative for socio-economic development of people and to cope with the
“common enemy” of terrorism, he said.
Pointing to the need to fight terrorism jointly,
Zardari said Pakistan
Zardari renewed his call for India and Pakistan
In a separate meeting with Krishna ,
Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf expressed confidence that bilateral
relations will improve and move forward “as we have set a direction.” Noting
that both countries desire good relations, Ashraf said: “We must learn from the
past. We cannot change neighbors.”
“No doubt Kashmir ,
Siachen, Sir Creek and other issues need to be resolved” but we need to have a
positive approach to resolve them, he said. Ashraf too said terrorism is a
“common enemy” of both countries.
He said there is political consensus in Pakistan on having good relations with India Pakistan
Comprehensive
Maritime Domain Awareness Scheme
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has pitched for a
comprehensive maritime domain awareness scheme as there were indications that
terrorist groups are maintaining their ability to use the sea route. He also
said that there were increasing infiltration attempts in Jammu and Kashmir
“In Jammu
and Kashmir
“Vigilance, therefore, needs to be exercised not only
on our land borders but along the coast line as well. The comprehensive scheme
of Maritime Domain Awareness to be led by the Navy would help strengthen
coastal vigilance, whereas deployment of more permanent border obstacles and
better sensors could improve the situation along the land borders,” he said at
the conference organized by Intelligence Bureau. Although the Prime Minister
did not name any terror outfit, the Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba terror
outfit had used the sea route to infiltrate into Mumbai in November 2008 and
went on a shooting spree killing more than 160 persons. He also said that
terror threat in the hinterland continues to be a cause for worry.
South Asia is bound to get a new boost once people in
large numbers are able to meet each other and exchange their thoughts and ideas
on a frequent basis.
The idea of promoting people-to-people contacts is basically aimed at bringing about pressure on the ruling class on both sides to take decisions in accordance with the wishes of their citizens. The liberalized regime will no doubt enable easier travel and greatly facilitate people-to-people contact. This measure must be heartily welcomed.
Ray of Hope
In addition to boosting bilateral trade ties, it
will promote people-to-people contacts in a big way. The political climate in The idea of promoting people-to-people contacts is basically aimed at bringing about pressure on the ruling class on both sides to take decisions in accordance with the wishes of their citizens. The liberalized regime will no doubt enable easier travel and greatly facilitate people-to-people contact. This measure must be heartily welcomed.
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