Pakistan’s Afghan visa policy remains unchanged: FO

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said on Wednesday that Pakistan’s visa policy for Afghanistan remains unchanged and the visas continue to be issued free of cost. In his twitter message, the foreign office spokesperson said that Pakistan's Afghan visa policy remains unchanged. “Pakistan's Afghan visa policy remains unchanged. Pak Missions in Afghanistan issue around 3800 visas a day to Afghans, more than any other country. Visas are issued free of cost,” the FO tweeted.  

Pakistan's Afghan visa policy remains unchanged. Pak Missions in Afghanistan issue around 3800 visas a day to Afghans, more than any other country. Visas are issued free of cost.#Afghanistan@mfa_afghanistan

— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@ForeignOfficePk) January 9, 2019

It is worth mentioning here that there are around 1.39 million registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan, according to statistics from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Read: Taliban call off peace talks with US officials

On Tuesday, the Taliban said that they had canceled planned peace talks with US officials in Qatar this week over an agenda disagreement. “Both the sides have agreed to not meet in Qatar,” senior Taliban members based in Afghanistan. Talks had been planned for two days starting Wednesday in Qatar, senior Taliban members. The Taliban had rejected requests from regional powers to allow Afghan officials to take part in the discussion. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s Special Envoy to Region for Peace Consensus Mohammad Omar Daudzai reached Islamabad on a four-day visit on Tuesday. Mohammad Omar Daudzai will also hold a meeting with Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. During the meeting, they will discuss the Afghan reconciliation process in detail. The Taliban regard the United States as its main adversary in the Afghan war and views direct talks with Washington as a legitimate effort to seek the withdrawal of foreign troops before engaging with the Afghan government.

The war in Afghanistan is America’s longest overseas military intervention. It has cost Washington nearly a trillion dollars and killed tens of thousands of people.

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict have intensified since Taliban representatives began meeting with Khalilzad, an Afghan-born, US diplomat last year. Officials from the warring sides have met at least three times, but fighting has not subsided.