• Cabinet approves online system to allow business, tourist visas within 24 hours
• E-gates to be established at Gwadar port, nine airports

ISLAMABAD: In a major change in visa policy aimed at attracting tourists and investment from across the world, Pakistan has completely waived the visa fee for the citizens of as many as 126 countries.

The decision, dubbed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a “quantum jump” to attract businessmen, investors, tourists and other travellers and to bring ease of doing business, was taken at the federal cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

While relaxing the visa policy, the cabinet approved the enforcement of online visa application system under which citizens of 126 countries would get business and tourist visas within 24 hours and would be exempt from paying visa processing fee.

An official handout issued by PM House quoted the prime minister as saying the cost of visa processing after the waiver would be covered through foreign exchange earned through investment and tourism, including religious tourism of which Pakistan has immense potential.

Not only the visitors would get visas within 24 hours through the electronic travel authorisation form, but also get the facility of e-gates, which would be established at Gwadar Port and nine airports across Pakistan, according to the statement. Initially, the e-gates would be installed at Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi airports.

Moreover, for the travel facilitation of Sikh Yatrees (pilgrims) having passports of a third country, the cabinet approved a separate sub-category for visa-on-arrival facility. For this purpose, it was decided that a dashboard would be introduced at the interior ministry to supervise the online visa system.

A source told Dawn that the visa policy was relaxed for businessmen and tourists so that they can apply for visa online, even a day before travel.

The decision of the cabinet would be implemented by the interior ministry and the Foreign Office, the source said, adding that all the 126 countries would be informed through the FO.

Special courts

Also, the federal cabinet, on the recommendations of the high courts of Islamabad, Balochistan, Sindh, Lahore and Peshawar as well as the Ministry of Law and Justice, approved notification of special courts and banking courts with regard to banking cases.

The special and banking courts would function under the security exchange commission.

The cabinet also gave the go-ahead to singing of an MoU between Pakistan and Denmark for promotion of public-private partnership for logistics, transport, sustainable growth, water waste management, urban green development, alternative energy and construction of basic infrastructure.

Resolution on Palestine

Separately, the cabinet demanded that the international community make Israel accountable for its crimes against humanity and bring it to face court of justice, and stressed upon the global community to accelerate its efforts to ensure ceasefire and supply of human assistance in Gaza.

The ICJ had declared Israeli brutalities as “genocide” of Palestinians.

A resolution, passed by the cabinet in support of Palestinians and shared by PM Office, said more than 39,000 Palestinians had been martyred due to barbarity of Israel.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2024