Pakistan, India to sign liberalised visa regime today

Pakistan and India will on Saturday sign a liberalised visa regime and a memorandum of understanding on cultural exchanges, in addition to agreeing on new cross-LoC confidence-building measures relating to trade and travel. The new agreements will be formalised in the presence of Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, who is on a three-day visit to Pakistan for the annual ministerial review meeting of the peace dialogue and co-chairing the revived Joint Commission.

The two foreign secretaries finalised the accords on Friday while the foreign ministers will meet on Saturday. Structured talks between the two foreign ministers and the plenary session of Joint Commission are planned for Saturday. Mr Krishna, who arrived just before noon on Friday, met President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and leaders of major parties represented in the parliament. Mr Krishna’s meetings in Islamabad would more importantly decide whether or not Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh would visit Pakistan later this year on the invitation of President Zardari. The two foreign secretaries, meanwhile, met on Friday to finalise the agenda for the ministerial review meeting. The accord on new visa regime, which had been largely finalised during the meeting of interior/home secretaries in May, but was not initialled then, would have five new categories, including one-year multiple entry visas for businessmen which would be valid for five cities; group tourist visas; and on-arrival visas for citizens of 65 years or more. Pilgrims visiting each other’s countries and people having relatives in the other country are also expected to be facilitated. Finer details of the visa regime, which would be inked at the interior ministry, were still being worked out by officials, a source said. Interior Minister Rehman Malik, speaking to media at a reception hosted by the Indian High Commission, said that the decision to sign the new visa agreement was taken during a meeting between President Zardari and Dr Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the NAM summit in Tehran last month. Pakistan National Council of Arts and Indian Council for Cultural Relations will also be signing an MoU for cultural exchanges between the two countries. The move for exchanges in the field of music, dance, theatre and visual arts, it is said, is meant to supplement diplomatic efforts for improvement in relations. Terming the cultural exchange agreement a major step forward, an official said, it took the two countries years to agree to this MoU. Moreover, both sides were expected to agree to additional Cross-LoC confidence building measures discussed during a meeting of the Joint Working Group on Cross-LoC CBMs’ in Islamabad in July. An Indian source said Mr Krishna had strongly raised the issue of slow progress in the trial of Mumbai attacks accused and Pakistan’s reluctance to act against groups targeting India. Mr Krishna’s protestations made Preisdent Zardari to tell him that “it is time for the two countries to move beyond reiteration of their positions to more substantive results”. Mr Zardari insisted that the two countries must not allow the derailment of normalisation process and proposed revival of an anti-terrorism mechanism that would include representatives of Foreign Office, Home/Interior and intelligence agencies of the two countries. Prime Minister Ashraf, in his meeting with Mr Krishna, said that it was important for both countries to maintain a positive outlook despite the fact that more intricate issues like Kashmir, Siachen and Sir Creek were still to be discussed. Mr Krishna told the prime minister that revival of the Joint Ministerial Commission after a long hiatus indicated the seriousness of the two sides to enhance bilateral cooperation. Earlier on arrival, Mr Krishna said: “We are committed to finding solutions to all issues that have beset our relationship through peaceful bilateral dialogue.” He further said that India was looking forward to a future where both countries were able to live together in an atmosphere of friendliness and cooperation, free from terror and violence.