ISLAMABAD
\nPakistan has decided to extend for two more months the facility of issuing visas on arrival to \u201cvulnerable\u201d Afghan nationals destined for third countries, according to officials.
\nSeveral Western countries including the United States and Germany, had requested Pakistan for issuing more visas on arrival to Afghans who do not have documents so they could be sent abroad. An Interior Ministry\u2019s documented dated June 9, 2022, says the \u201cfacility of safe passage under phase-III, (visa on arrival facility) through land and air routes for vulnerable Afghans destined for third countries on case to case basis, in accordance with the recipient countries is extended for another period of 60 days, with immediate effect till 8th August, 2022.\u201d
\nThe Interior Ministry in a summary submitted to the cabinet says that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has stated that several diplomatic missions in Islamabad have been approaching the MoFA with the request to initiate phase-III of humanitarian safe passage for vulnerable Afghan nationals still in Afghanistan.
\n\u201cSenior political leaders of these countries have also raised the issue in interactions with their Pakistani counterparts,\u201d according to the document dated May 22, 2022.\u201d The diplomatic missions have conveyed that Afghan nationals would require a visa on arrival due to lack of travel documents.
\nIn the post-15 August 2021 period, it has been Pakistan\u2019s clear policy to facilitate evacuations from Afghanistan, the Foreign Ministry says, adding Pakistan\u2019s actions in this context have generated tremendous international goodwill for the country.
\n\u201cMoFA has recommended for Phase-III of humanitarian safe passage in order to provide visa-on-arrival facility to Afghans nationals crossing into Pakistan and Afghanistan repatriation of Afghans currently residing in Pakistan of their sponsored countries.\u201d
\nThe diplomatic missions have also expressed their willingness to sponsor the undocumented afghan currently residing in Pakistan. The Foreign Ministry says that in the past-15 august 2021 period, it has been Pakistan\u2019s clear policy to facilitate evacuations from Afghanistan.
\n\u201cPakistan\u2019s actions in this context have generated tremendous international goodwill for the country. It is accordingly emphasized again that the process regarding phase-III of humanitarian safe passage may be expedited in order to provide visa-on-arrival facility to Afghan nationals crossing into Pakistan and facilitate the repatriation of Afghans currently residing in Pakistan to their sponsoring countries.
\nThe Federal Cabinet had approved a summary on May 30 submitted by the Interior Ministry for \u201cfacility of Safe Passage under Phase-III through Land and Air Routes for Vulnerable Afghans Destined for Third Countries\u201d.
\nThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote to the Interior Ministry on May 10 that the next phase of evacuation operation from Afghanistan through Pakistan to third countries may be conveyed at the earliest.
\nThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote to the Interior Ministry on May 10 that the US Assistant Secretary of State in a meeting with the Pakistani ambassador has for its continuation along with simplification of border entry procedure.
\nThe German Special Representative in a meeting with the Pakistani ambassador had also raised the issue of evacuation of 152 Afghan nationals and facilitation of Afghans on \u201cTazkirah\u201d (Identity Cards) at Torkham Border. =DNA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Pakistan has decided to extend for two more months the facility of issuing visas on arrival to \u201cvulnerable\u201d Afghan nationals destined for third countries, according to officials. Several Western countries including the United States and Germany, had requested Pakistan for issuing more visas on arrival to Afghans who do not have documents so they […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-265924","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n