ISLAMABAD, April 21: The opening of Indian High Commission's visa camp office in Karachi is conditional to restoration of normal strength of respective missions of the two countries.

When asked to comment on remarks made by the Indian High Commissioner in Karachi on Tuesday that India was awaiting a response from Pakistan to set up a visa camp office in Karachi, a senior official of the Foreign Office said that Pakistan had already conveyed to India on numerous occasions that the issue was directly linked to restoration of normal strength of respective missions.

"This has also been formally proposed by Pakistan to India. However, a response from New Delhi was still awaited," the official said. The official said the existing strength of the respective missions in New Delhi and Islamabad was not sufficient to cope with visa applications in respective capitals.

Setting up visa camps in other cities would further delay processing of visa requests in Islamabad where the waiting period is almost 6-8 months, he added. The official said Pakistan would certainly consider setting up visa camps on a reciprocal basis when the Indian government agreed to increase the missions' strength.