Pak imposes restrictions on SAARC visa exemption for India

Pakistan has imposed reciprocal restrictions on Indian nationals travelling on SAARC Visa Exemption Stickers in view of New Delhis continued breaching of guidelines and procedures agreed to by all member states.

Islamabad, May 10 : Pakistan has imposed reciprocal restrictions on Indian nationals travelling on SAARC Visa Exemption Stickers in view of New Delhi's continued breaching of 'guidelines and procedures' agreed to by all member states.

The Pakistan Foreign Office was quoted by the Dawn as saying that it had conveyed its decision to the SAARC Secretariat, which in turn had informed other member states about it.

In its communication to the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu, Islamabad underscored that it had taken the decision after exhausting all options to find an amicable solution to the breach of the agreed procedures and guidelines.

Pakistan has indicated that it would be ready to lift the restrictions at any time on reciprocal basis.

Under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme introduced in March 1992, the holder of the sticker is entitled to one-month stay without restrictions on the number of cities to be visited.

Notwithstanding this, in September 2006 the Indian immigration authorities introduced additional restrictive measures on Pakistani delegates attending SAARC meetings in India, limiting the validity of the stickers and restricting their movement to a few specific cities.

Even Pakistani officials serving at the secretariat had to conform to the restrictive measures.

Pakistan raised the matter on several occasions at different levels. Initially, it flagged the issue at the first meeting of the immigration authorities in New Delhi in September 2006.

Afterwards it alerted the SAARC Secretariat and member states in October 2006. The secretariat asked the Indian Government to implement the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme "in its letter and in spirit".

Subsequently, the issue was taken up by Pakistan at the foreign secretary-level meeting with India in November 2006 and most recently at the 14th SAARC Summit in New Delhi last month.

The Indian immigration authorities, however, went ahead with restrictions on the sticker for all Pakistani diplomats, experts and officials visiting India for SAARC meetings, according to diplomatic sources in the Pakistan capital.

Pakistan has also made it clear that its support for the proposal of establishing the main campus of the South Asian University in India would be conditional till all issues pertaining to free movement of students, teachers, visiting professors and faculty members are resolved.

ANI