Pakistan relaxes visa norms for Indian tourists, announces Visa On Arrival scheme
By Satish Gupta l etN asia
In a major development pertaining to the South Asian tourism industry, the visa hurdles for Indians planning to visit neighboring country Pakistan are going to reduce considerably. Indians will soon be able to go to Pakistan without waiting for a visa. They will be issued a visa at the airport in Pakistan. The Visa On Arrival scheme was announced by Pakistan's Minister for Tourism Nilofar Bakhtiar.
Bakhtiar said that visa on arrival would be open to tourists from 24 countries, including India and would be implemented in two months. While this would be implemented for 15 days, the eligibility is that only a group of at least five persons sent by an approved tour operator would have the right to get VOA.
The scheme was aimed making Pakistan a tourist-friendly destination, she said. Bhakhtiar said Pakistan and India had great potential in tourism sector and both could improve two-way tourists flow through mutual understanding and cooperation.
"Today is World Tourism Day and I am receiving the passengers at Wagah to convey a message to our neighboring country that Pakistan always adheres to friendship, fraternity, and peace," she said.
The people-to-people contact between Pakistan and India would guarantee improved bilateral relations, she said.
In June 2006, Pakistan had liberalized visa regime for Indian nationals making it easier for group tourists, professionals, businessmen, media personnel as well as diplomats to obtain hitherto stringently regulated visas. Pakistan expanded the list of countries that were entitled for easy visa facility from 48 to 175 and visas for Indians were liberalized on many fronts on reciprocal basis.
September 29, 2006
Posted in: Pakistan