ISLAMABAD ((2 News) – Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi says successful launch of e-visa facility is a big achievement of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.
Speaking at a briefing given by NADRA Chairman Usman Mubin about online visa facility on Friday, he said e-visa facility has been introduced to issue visas timely and transparently.
The minister said the difficulties in getting visas can be overcome through online visa facility.
The NADRA chairman apprised the foreign minister that online facility has become operational in all the Pakistani missions.
He said that since the launch of the e-visa facility, a total of 1946 visa applications have been received online. Of them, 1152 applicants have been issued visas and 560 applications are under process, while 95 applications have been rejected on the basis of different technical reasons.
PM orders to immediate launch website for tourism sector
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has directed to launch a comprehensive website immediately identifying all new Tourist zones being set up and providing detailed information to the local as well as foreign tourists.
Chairing a meeting on development and promotion of Tourism in the country, he said with the development of tourist resorts and provision of required facilities, the tourism sector will receive tremendous boost.
11 Integrated Tourism Zones to be established in KP
The prime minister was informed that eleven Integrated Tourism Zones would be established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and this model would be replicated by setting up eight zones in Punjab.
These Integrated Tourism Zones will not only serve to showcase tourist potential of Pakistan and promote tourism but will also ensure preservation of natural beauty, biodiversity, forests cover and promotion of eco-tourism at the newly established tourist resorts.
KP minister briefs draft Tourism Act 2019
Senior Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Atif Khan briefed the meeting about the draft Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Act 2019. He said under the ambit of this upcoming law exclusive jurisdiction would be clearly chalked out to avoid coordination problems and to overcome low performance capacity of organizations.
It was further informed that Private Sector will play a leading role in development of Tourism while the Government will provide an enabling environment and act as a facilitator.
Under the newly rolled out visa regime, Pakistani missions abroad will grant three-month e-visas to foreigners in 175 countries within a processing time of 7-10 working days.
He has spoken of the potential for religious tourism while highlighting the diverse topography to attract foreigners to visit the country.
The prime minister said that the country opening its doors to the world is a manifestation of a new confidence that the security situation has drastically changed and “Pakistan is now secure”.
