Pakistan to open visa facilities in Afghan provinces

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): Pakistan will open new facilities for issuing visas to Afghans in other provinces in order to address the existing problems, the Pakistani consul general in eastern Nangarhar province said on Monday.

Nangarhar governor Gulab Mangal discussed diplomatic relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan with the Pakistani diplomat in Jalalabad, Mangal’s spokesman Attaullah Khogyani said.

The meeting conferred on various topics including study tour exchanges, education scholarships, visa issuance and others, Khogyani said, adding the two insisted on further enhancing diplomatic ties between the neighbours.

Mangal said education travel exchanges between the two countries was essential for further improving diplomatic relations in order to share expertise in diverse fields.

The governor urged increased facilities for visa applicants and special education scholarships for Nangarhar students in Pakistan.

Pakistani consul general Farmanullah Yousafzai thanked the Nangarhar governor for stressing cultural, religious and academic tours between the two countries and said such tours would have a positive impact on the bilateral relations.

He said the Pakistani diplomatic mission in Nangarhar daily issued visas to 500 Afghans and the opening of new branches for issuing visas in other Afghan provinces would help resolve all types of problems in the matter.

The envoy also promised efforts at securing exclusive scholarships for Nangarahr students. He shared a number of issues with the governor for their solution.

After Pakistan banned Afghans entry to the country without visas, the number of people visiting the Pakistan consulate in Nangarhar has drastically increased.

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