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

The expired visas will now be treated as valid till Aug 31.

According to an official of the Ministry of Interior, the decision has been taken in view of the outbreak of Covid-19 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 on April 29 extending all types of visas, issued to foreign nationals, till June 30.

The exemption will be applicable to all visas expired since March 15.

“All such visas shall be deemed to be valid till August 31, 2020,” the official said.

The ministry has informed the Foreign Office, Federal Investigation Agency’s immigration department and directorate general of the Immigration and Passports about the decision.

Answering a question, the official said foreign nationals whose visas expired before April 15 should contact the section concerned of the ministry.

The first extension in visas had been announced in the first week of April extending such visas till April 30. A day before the deadline another notification had been issued to give a further extension of two months that was scheduled to expire on June 30.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2020