ISLAMABAD: The federal government has extended for two months the validity of visa for foreign nationals stranded in Pakistan due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The expired visas will now be treated as valid till June 30.

According to an official of the Ministry of Interior, the decision has been taken in view of the outbreak of Covid-19 disease and as part of the government’s measures to stop the spread of the deadly virus thro­ugh “any interaction with the public at large”.

The notification is in continuation of the previous one issued in the first week of the current month, extending all types of visas issued to foreign nationals till April 30.

The exemption will be applicable to all visas expired since March 15 and are due to expire by June 30. “All such visas shall be deemed to be valid till 30th June 2020,” the ministry said.

The ministry has informed the Foreign Office, the Federal Investigation Agen­cy’s Immigration Department and the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports about the decision.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2020