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Visa on arrival for Indian, Pakistani elders
Saturday September 08, 2012 05:21:42 PM, Jaideep Sarin,
IANS
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Islamabad: Senior
citizens, aged 65 and above, in India and Pakistan can now walk
across the border between the two countries and need not go
through the hassles of getting a visa from embassies in New Delhi
and Islamabad.
Thanks to the new visa policy between India and Pakistan, to be
signed Saturday, which has eased restrictions on visitors from
both the countries, senior citizens will be granted visas on
arrival at the Attari and Wagah border in India and Pakistan
respectively.
There was no such provision available for senior citizens of both
countries. Under the new arrangement, senior citizens will be
granted a visa on arrival valid for 45 days.
"The senior citizens can visit the other country easily now," a
source said here.
Many senior citizens in the two countries have been witness to the
1947 partition in which millions of people were uprooted after
India's independence and Pakistan's creation.
The new visa regime will see several changes aimed at easing the
visa regime.
There will be a single-entry visitor visa for a maximum period of
six months but the stay cannot exceed three months at a time and
for five places (currently limited to three places).
Group tourist visas, for groups of 10-50 people, has also been
introduced for the first time. This will also be available for
students provided they do not seek admission in the other country.
Also, business visa has been separated from visitor visa, a
communique said.
The business visa will have to be issued within five weeks.
People aged more than 65, children below 12 and eminent
businessmen are exempted from police reporting.
Another simplified rule will allow people to enter and exit from
different check posts and change their mode of travel. This was
not permitted earlier.
"However, this is subject to the exception that exit from Wagah/Attari,
by road (on foot) cannot be accepted, unless the entry was also by
foot via Attari/Wagah," the communique said.
Under a new category, a visitor visa for a maximum of five
specified places may be issued for a longer period of up to two
years with multiple entries to senior citizens (above 65); spouse
of a national of one country married to person of another country
and children below 12 accompanying parent(s).
Also, transit visa will now be issued within 36 hours instead of
72 hours.
Under the existing visa agreement, the single entry visa is issued
for three months for meeting relatives, friends, business or other
legitimate purposes. However, the visa can be issued for a longer
period not exceeding a year owing to the nature of work or
business.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Friday said: "The biggest
thing is that the visa agreement will be of benefit to the common
people of both India and Pakistan. There is no loss for anyone in
this."
(Jaideep Sarin can be contacted at jaideep.s@ians.in)
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