RAWALPINDI, May 27: The Australian High Commission in Islamabad has temporarily stopped issuing visas, apparently in reaction to the rejection of wheat shipment by Pakistan, sources said on Thursday.

When contacted, the spokesman for the Foreign Office, Masood Khan, said: "I have no knowledge about the latest development. However, I would be able to comment on the move of stopping issuing visas on Friday."

However, the spokesman said the Australian High Commission had temporarily closed immigration office in Islamabad due to security reasons sometime back. But the consular section was not closed at that time.

"Even at that time they had not linked closure of immigration office with wheat shipment issue," he said. The source said the Australian High Commission stopped issuing visas on Wednesday.