NEW DELHI, Dec 14:
India and Pakistan today formally operationalised a new visa agreement that would facilitate multiple-entry and reporting-free visas for businessmen, besides allowing visa on arrival for the elderly.
The new agreement would replace a 38-year old tardy visa regime signed in 1974 by two countries.
Announcing the new regime, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said, “This new visa regime will pave the way in promoting people-to-people contact. We have already issued circular to all Indian missions abroad and State Governments notifying the introduction of the new visa regime.”
On the occasion, visiting Interior Minister of Pakistan Rehman Malik said, “Time has come to forget the old days. This visa regime will take bilateral relations forward. It will bring good trade, will remove this miscommunication…This is not only a historic step but a step forward for peace that we are looking for generations.”
He said people travelling from Wagah to Lahore would get a “complimentary ride”.
The new agreement would facilitate multiple-entry and reporting-free visas for businessmen, allowing them to visit five cities instead of three as per the older system.
It would exempt police verification for businessmen with an annual income above Pakistani Rs five million or annual turnover above Pak Rs 30 million or equivalent in Indian currency travelling on business visa, a statement issued on the occasion said.
“Now entry and exit from different designated immigration check posts can be allowed, if indicated in application. However exit from Wagah-Attari on foot cannot be accepted unless the entry was also on foot via Attari-Wagah,” it said.
Under the new regime, visa on arrival to citizens over 65 years will start in four weeks from January 15. The visa will be for 45 days with single entry at Attari-Wagah checkpost.
The two countries had signed the new regime on September 8 with an aim to facilitating travel for the nationals of both countries and promoting people-to-people contact.
The two countries would also operationalise from March 15, 2013 the group tourist visa for a period of 30 days which would be issued to tourists travelling in groups of 10-50.
“Group tourist visa for 30 days may be issued for travel in groups with not less than 10 members and not more than 50 members in each group, organised by approved tour operators/ travel agents,” the statement said.
The new regime would also allow entry and exit from different designated immigration check posts, if indicated on the application. However exit from Wagah-Attari border would not be accepted unless the entry was also on foot from the border.
The arrangement would also allow, in exceptional cases, issue of visa for upto two years as against the one year provision in the older regime.
However, the two-years visa would be given only for persons above 65 years or national of one country married to national of the other country and children below 12 years accompanying parents in the latter case.
Meanwhile, India today asked Pakistan to take action against those who were responsible for the death of Captain Saurabh Kalia in Kargil in 1999.
During the Indo-Pak Home Minister-level talks, India raised the issue of Kalia, who was captured by the Pakistani forces in Kargil sector in May 1999 and subsequently his mutilated body was returned to India.
The issue was raised by the Indian side when Shinde met Malik during the delegation level talks here tonight.
However, the response of the Pakistani side was not immediately known.
It comes in the backdrop of Kalia’s father N K Kalia moving the United Nation’s Human Right Commission in Geneva on December 7 demanding justice for his son.
Capt Kalia of 4 Jat regiment had led the first team which reported intrusion in the Kargil Sector by the Pakistani soldiers. During the reconnaissance, he along with five others were captured.
After 20 days, their severely mutilated bodies were handed over to India. The autopsy report revealed extreme ante-mortem torture which included cigarette burns, piercing of ear drums with hot iron rods and amputated vital organs.
The Supreme Court earlier today sought response from the Centre on Capt Kalia’s father’s plea seeking its direction to the government for raising the case of his son’s torture at the hands of Pakistan Army at the International Court of Justice.
Earlier, stoking a potential controversy, Malik tonight alluded to Babri Masjid demolition, equating the incident with the Mumbai terror attack.
Malik said nobody wants to see the recurrence of incidents like Bombay blasts, Samjhauta blasts or Babri Masjid issue.
“We do not want any 9/11. We do not want any Bombay blasts, we do not want any Samjhauta Express, we do not want any Babri mosque issue and we can work together not only for peace in Pakistan and India but also for the region,” Malik said here.
Malik was speaking to reporters after the new visa agreement between India and Pakistan was operationalised.
He said Pakistan will leave no stone unturned to punish those involved in Mumbai terror attack in November 2008 in which 166 people were killed.
“When Ajmal Kasab was hanged. I was the first one to come on the television and gave the statement that we respect the judgments coming from your courts.
“Similarly when the trial is going on (in Pakistan) I have already told you that it is on fast track and of course we have gone to every level to make it on the fast track,” the Interior Minister said.
The Pakistan Interior Minister also hoped for a speedy trial in that country involving LeT founder and 26/11 mastermind Hafeez Saeed after the visit of a Judicial Commission to India.
“Now the judicial commission is required to come. And I am very grateful for all the help and cooperation given by India. I assure the moment judicial commission comes to India and cross examines.
“I assure my brother, people of India and that we are on it. We assure Indian authorities especially my brother, the Home Minister of India, that we will not leave any stone unturned and the day is not far when you will see the conviction. You will see the justice seems to be done,” Malik said.
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan is conducting trial of seven Pakistanis charged with involvement in the Mumbai attack.
“I know there has been questions on Hafeez Saeed and obviously this is the demand from the people of India. Exactly in the same way when the Samjhauta blast happened people of Pakistan were actually asking what has happened?,” the Interior Minister said.
Stating that terrorism brings grief, Malik assured that Pakistan will bring the culprits, terrorist, perpetrators to justice and “you will see it”.
“Have you seen any propaganda. No? We want to come out of that domain of propaganda. We want to see love and peace,” he said.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, however, countered Malik’s words saying that Pakistan has not kept its promises made earlier.
“You have been outspoken on all the fronts. But we in India keep on talking that earlier on 2, 3, 4 occasions the promises were made and that (they) were not fulfilled and today you have assured. I am quiet confident that both the countries will go forward in bilateral cooperation,” he added.
Meanwhile, Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh’s sister and his daughter today met visiting Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik and appealed for his release as early as possible.
Malik told an emotional Sarabjit’s sister Daljit Kaur and daughter Sapandeep Kaur that the Pakistan government was trying its best to process Sarabjit’s case by following the judicial process.
Malik invited Daljit and her family to visit Pakistan as his personal guest and directed Pakistan High Commission officials to issue them a long term visa to visit the neighbouring country.
“Please come to Pakistan as my guest and stay there as long as you want,” Malik told them.
The Pakistan leader told the duo that even today during the delegation level talks with India, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had raised the issue of Sarabjit’s release and both sides discussed the issue thoroughly.
“Your Prime Minister also raised the issue and we working on it. We are following the judicial process. God willing something will happen,” he said.
Daljit Kaur told here, “We will apply for visa soon and would visit Pakistan to meet Sarabjit.”
Sapandeep said, “I am dying to meet Papa.”
Sarabjit Singh is among the prisoners on death row in a Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore in Pakistan.
He was convicted for alleged involvement in a string of bombings in 1990 though his execution was indefinitely put off in 2008 by the federal Government.(PTI)
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