New Delhi April 27:
A meeting of the joint working group of India and Pakistan on visa issues will be held in May end or in early June. Both the countries will discuss ways and means to move towards an easier visa regime in due course, as suggested during the home secretary-level talks in March.
Sources here said that Pakistan has proposed to India two sets of dates -- last week of May and first week of June -- for holding a meeting of the joint working group to carry forward the process of having a relaxed visa regime. A communication from Pakistan, proposing the two sets of dates, was received last week and a decision will be taken by the government soon.
"We are examining which date will be feasible for us to hold the meeting. We will take a decision on it soon and accordingly convey it to Pakistan," an official said. During the home secretary-level talks, both sides had agreed to set up a joint working group to examine the modalities for streamlining the visa procedure/modalities and for giving final shape to revision of the bilateral visa agreement.
"The next meeting will carry forward the whole process," the official said, adding India is "positive" on liberalising the visa regime with Pakistan to facilitate greater people-to-people contacts between the two nations. During the home secretary-level talks, sources said, a proposal had been put forth to relax norms for issuance of visa to journalists, businessmen, senior citizens and patients travelling for medical treatment. Under the proposal, the visa issued for these categories of travellers will not be city specific and the visa holders would be allowed to travel across the country, they said.
A meeting of the joint working group of India and Pakistan on visa issues will be held in May end or in early June. Both the countries will discuss ways and means to move towards an easier visa regime in due course, as suggested during the home secretary-level talks in March.
Sources here said that Pakistan has proposed to India two sets of dates -- last week of May and first week of June -- for holding a meeting of the joint working group to carry forward the process of having a relaxed visa regime. A communication from Pakistan, proposing the two sets of dates, was received last week and a decision will be taken by the government soon.
"We are examining which date will be feasible for us to hold the meeting. We will take a decision on it soon and accordingly convey it to Pakistan," an official said. During the home secretary-level talks, both sides had agreed to set up a joint working group to examine the modalities for streamlining the visa procedure/modalities and for giving final shape to revision of the bilateral visa agreement.
"The next meeting will carry forward the whole process," the official said, adding India is "positive" on liberalising the visa regime with Pakistan to facilitate greater people-to-people contacts between the two nations. During the home secretary-level talks, sources said, a proposal had been put forth to relax norms for issuance of visa to journalists, businessmen, senior citizens and patients travelling for medical treatment. Under the proposal, the visa issued for these categories of travellers will not be city specific and the visa holders would be allowed to travel across the country, they said.
