- Interior minister orders immediate suspension of visas on arrival; Central database to enable institutions to keep eye on travelers
Minister for Interior Affairs Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday directed the Ministry of Interior Affairs to revise and update visa rules, besides introduction of online visa regime to bring in transparency and minimise discretion.
Chairing a high-level meeting here, he ordered immediate suspension of visas on arrival under guise of landing permits, saying that this laxity cannot be allowed in this manner as it can give rise to serious irregularities. During the meeting, he asked for strict implementation of rules and regulations both in the ministry and its attached departments.
With launching of the online visa application and online visa regime, the minister said that any anomaly in issuance of visas would be effectively eliminated. He said that a central visa database was essential as it would enable the state institutions to keep a tab on all those travelling to Pakistan on any visa category.
He also directed speedy completion of the concept paper for modern Immigration and Border Control Department to ensure strict surveillance of Pakistan’s land, sea and air route entry/exit points on borders. As first step, a separate body of Immigration and Border Management should be set up under the Federal Investigation Agency, he observed.
Nisar said that modern immigration department would strengthen border control management which is currently managed by FIA. On the occasion, the FIA officials gave a detailed briefing over recoveries in various cases including human trafficking and from various petroleum marketing companies in lieu of petroleum levy.
It was informed that FIA has recovered Rs 2.513 billion in various cases in year 2016. An amount of Rs. 2.13 billion has also been recovered and deposited in national treasury in inquiry into recovery of petroleum levy. It is pertinent to mention that recoveries by FIA in 2010 were Rs. 528 million, Rs. 690 million in 2011 and Rs. 110 million in 2012. The recoveries by FIA during present government tenure stood at Rs. 2.23 billion in 2013, Rs. 2.27 billion in 2014 and Rs. 6.39 billion in 2015.
As a result of proactive approach under directions of the interior minister, improvement has been witnessed in overall performance of FIA. For the first time, the foreign airlines were fined for violation of visa policy and were asked to take back the passengers without visa back to port of their embarkation on their own cost.
It was informed that a fine to tune of Rs 94 million was imposed on various foreign airlines for bringing in passengers without valid Pakistani visas and such airlines were directed to take back hundreds of such passengers. The minister directed FIA to continue working with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for removing all those social media pages which could cause religious unrest in the society or glorifying terrorism or terrorists on the internet.
On the occasion, the ICT administration gave a detailed briefing on various steps taken for enhanced security of the capital including that of shrines and various entry and exit points. The minister directed the ICT administration to ensure establishment of two free lanes meant for smooth entry and exit of the commuters travelling between the twin cities. Free lanes would help the citizens using RFID technology to enter the capital without any hassle.
The meeting was attended by interior secretary, chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), the advocate general, Islamabad chief commissioner, acting inspector general of the Islamabad Police and senior officers of the FIA and the ministry.
