KABUL (Pajhwok): Some people are complaining they face inordinate delays in obtaining Pakistan visa, something enriching middlemen and ask the government to address the problem.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is planning to set up a committee to facilitate travel to Pakistan.
Obtaining Pakistan visa in Kabul has become difficult and most of the time people are denied visa because they apply for the traveling document through middlemen.
Ismail Kochi, a resident of Kabul, takes $950 and $800 from patients to get them Pakistani visa within three days.
“If anyone wants to buy a visa, I will do it with a guarantee, one who wants to receive visa should deposit money and passport with a moneychanger and in case of not getting visa, he can take his money back,” Kochi said.
A Facebook page named Ahmadzai Online Services wrote that customers in Afghanistan could get Pakistani visas from them at a low price.
A representative of these services told Pajhwok that normal visa for 60 to 70 days cost 3,000 afghanis, but emergency visas could be purchased for $600 to $1,100 in two days.
Pajhwok received voice clip of an individual who says a Pakistani visa can be obtained from two to 24 hours against $200 in Nangarhar.
Karimullah Mohammadi, a resident of Ahmad Shah Baba area, said he applied for Pakistani visa twice, but his application was rejected without any reason.
Mohammadi said he paid 3,000 afghanis to a person who applied for him.
“Pakistan embassy charges $8 against every apply, I wonder how many applications will get rejected every day? From this way Pakistan is getting effortless profit every day,” he explained.
Mohammadi asked: “For how long this problem will persist, why the caretaker government does not solve the issue with Pakistan.”
Mobin Hasan, who was able to obtain Pakistan visa, said: “My application was rejected after two months of wait initially and I applied again but at last I received the visa.”
The media office of MoFA of Afghanistan and Pakistani embassy did not respond to Pajhwok requests for comment in this regard.
But on Saturday, the MoFA in a statement said acting minister Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi during a meeting with Pakistan Charge d’Affaires Obaidul Rehman Nizamani agreed to form a joint committee to provide facilities to Afghan travelers.
Acting Prime Minister Maulvi Abdul Kabir in a meeting with Nizamani asked the Pakistani side to facilitate visa issuance and solve the problems of Afghan refugees in the country and also create facilities at Spin Boldak and Torkham crossing points.
Nizamani assured full cooperation in issuing visas and solving the problems of Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
Last year, Pajhwok published a report that said agents in collaboration with staff-members of the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul provided visas to applicants for up to $750.
The embassy then said that any kind of visa was free for Afghans and only $8.18 was charged for online service only.
However, the Pakistani embassy denies selling visas at higher prices and contacts with middlemen.
“We strongly deny the allegation that the embassy officers have links with middlemen and there is no evidence on the regard. We normally issue visas to anyone and tell people to apply on their own, not through middlemen” the embassy said.
sa/ma
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