Visa policy for Pakistanis to be revised: Kuwaiti emir
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ISLAMABAD: Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has assured Pakistan that he will make personal efforts to resolve visa restriction issues being faced by the Pakistani community.
The Kuwaiti emir gave this assurance to Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who called on him in Kuwait City on Sunday.
The foreign minister apprised the emir of Kuwait about reservations and difficulties being faced by the Pakistani community in Kuwait due to visa restrictions. He also presented special letters from President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan to him.
Mr Qureshi thanked the emir for raising voice against human rights violations in India-held Kashmir by New Delhi. He also thanked the emir for supporting Islamabad’s stance during the recent tension with India.
He said over 100,000 workforce and experts of Pakistan origin are playing an important role in the development and progress of Kuwait. He said Pakistan attached high importance to its bilateral and economic relations with Kuwait.
While talking to his Kuwaiti counterpart Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, Mr Qureshi said Kuwait had supported Pakistan in every critical situation. He said that Pakistan and its people had great respect for the people and government of Kuwait.
According to Foreign Office, the Kuwaiti foreign minister said services of Pakistani diaspora in Kuwait were appreciable as they were brave and hard working.
Mr Qureshi said more than 100,000 overseas Pakistanis were playing a dynamic role in Kuwait’s development and that Pakistan wanted to boost the existing economic relations with Kuwait.
The Pakistani diaspora in Gulf countries wanted to get access to Kuwait’s markets, he added. However, visa restriction was a hurdle in getting access to the markets, he added.
Mr Qureshi said Pakistan had taken effective measures to curb the use of illegal documents for travel and requested the Kuwait government to review its visa restriction policy.
The Kuwaiti foreign minister assured Mr Qureshi that the visa policy would be reviewed and all possible cooperation would be extended to Pakistan in this regard.
Mr Qureshi thanked the Kuwaiti minister for supporting Pakistan’s stance during the recent Pak-India crisis and on the issue of human rights violations in India-held Kashmir.
Later, talking to a delegation of Abu Shaibah Group of Companies led by its chairman Sayyah Abu Shaibah in Kuwait, Mr Qureshi reaffirmed the PTI government’s determination to increase foreign investment in the country and provide all-out assistance to investors.
The FM said there were vast investment opportunities for foreign investors in Pakistan’s education, energy, agriculture, health, and construction sectors. He said investment of Kuwaiti companies in Pakistan would be welcomed.
The Kuwaiti delegation indicated their intent to bring massive investment in Pakistan in near future.
Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2019
