WASHINGTON, Jan 18: Pakistan has asked the United States to extend the registration deadline for Pakistanis to June 2004 so that all those needed to register can do so without any problem.

Ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi told Dawn on Saturday that he conveyed this request to Attorney General Ashcroft in a meeting in Washington earlier this week.

“We believe that because so many Pakistanis are required to register, they may not be able to do so within the given period,” Qazi said.

The US government has asked Pakistani nationals to register with the Immigration and Naturalization Service from by Feb 21. Those who fail to register can be arrested and deported.

The ambassador said while discussing the immigration issue with the Bush administration, Pakistan should not make “unrealistic” and “unattainable” demands.

The new immigration registration will also be the focus of discussions when Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri arrives in Washington next week on his first visit to the US capital.