India eases visa curbs on Pakistanis

NEW DELHI, March 25 (PTI) — India today announced easing of visa and travel restrictions to seven categories of Pakistani nationals which includes judges, editors, cricket and hockey players, MPs and leaders of provincial assemblies.

Visa holders from these categories will be exempt from the mandatory police reporting. They will also be entitled to multiple entry visas of up to one year duration. The relaxation will come into effect on April 2, an External Affairs Ministry announcement here said.

They will also be exempt from the restrictions of city-specific visas and will be entitled to travel anywhere in India except certain specified areas for which prior permission will be required.

Today’s announcement follows a decision by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif during his historic Lahore visit to promote contacts between the people of the two countries at all levels.

The issue figured prominently during the meeting of Foreign Ministers Jaswant Singh and Sartaj Aziz in Colombo on the sidelines of the SAARC ministerial meeting.

Visa and travel restrictions are being eased for Judges of the Pakistan Supreme Court and various High Courts, Attorney General, Solicitor General and Chairperson of the Supreme Court Bar Association and Editor-in-Chief of national newspapers and owners/principal functionaries of national newspapers.

Others to benefit are members of the national cricket and hockey teams during their tours of India, members of the Pakistani National Assembly and the Senate (Upper House), leaders and deputy leaders of provincial assemblies and leaders and deputy leaders of the Opposition in provincial assemblies.

Vice Chancellors of recognised or approved universities and Secretaries Secretary-rank officers of the Pakistan Government will also be entitled to avail of the liberalised visa regime.

Spouses and dependent children (sons up to 18 years of age and unmarried daughters) of all these persons will also be covered, the announcement said.

The Ministry said some relaxations had also been made in the regime government visits of tourist groups to India. Tour operators will only have to report the arrival of a group to the police at each destination within India.

Individual members of a tourist group will not be required to do so. This relaxation will come into effect shortly, it said.