Marriyum Aurangzeb, the minister of information and broadcasting, announced on Tuesday that the federal cabinet has authorised a new visa system for Afghan citizens, including traders and people travelling for medical reasons.
The Interior Ministry (Afghan Inter-ministerial cell) discussed the visa policy for Afghans during a meeting of the top committee. The meeting included attendees from the Board of Investment, Marriyum, NADRA, and the Foreign Office. Following the federal cabinet meeting, which was presided over by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, she said at a news conference in Islamabad that, under the revised policy, Pakistani missions abroad would process Afghans’ visa requests based on their current passport and nationality rather than their country of origin
She said the cabinet had approved the addition of a subcategory in the work visa category for drivers, transporters, and helpers in order to further develop bilateral trade with Afghanistan. During the meeting, it was also approved to add the subcategory to the online visa system. The interior ministry has been given permission to extend the time to one year. The information minister also informed that a multi-entry visa for six months would be provided within 48 hours.
