After dilly-dallying for over two months, India has finally started visa-on-arrival (VoA) facility for Pakistani senior citizens.
Pakistani citizens, who are above 65, will now get VoA at Attari/Wagah check-post. The single entry visa will be given for a maximum 45 days.
A senior home ministry official said that the facility was started at the Attari integrated check post (ICP) from April 1 on reciprocal basis. The facility was scheduled to be started from January 15. But, it was put on hold in the wake of tension along the border after killing of two Indian soldiers by the Pakistani army on January 8.
Though Indian officials had then said that the operationalization of the VoA had got delayed as several security agencies sought clarifications on facilities to be offered to the Pakistani citizens, it later appeared to be a pretext of putting it on hold due to tension along the LoC.
No decision has, however, been taken on the stalled group tourist visa facility to Pakistani nationals. The two countries had agreed to operationalize the group tourist visa facility to be offered to each other’s citizens from March 15. Both countries had decided to issue a single entry VoA to each other’s senior citizens and group tourist visa under a new liberalized visa pact that was signed last September to ease cross-border travel as part of a number of confidence-building measures.
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