Nisar seeks revised visa rules to bring transparency

Asks FIA to work with PTA to remove social media pages creating religious unrest

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Monday directed the Interior Ministry to revise and update visa rules, besides introduction of online visa regime to bring in transparency and minimise discretion.

Chairing a high-level meeting here, the minister ordered immediate suspension of visas on arrival under the guise of landing permits, saying that this laxity cannot be allowed as it can give rise to serious irregularities. He asked for strict implementation of rules and regulations both in the ministry and its attached departments. 

The meeting was attended by secretary interior, chairman Nadra, advocate general, chief commissioner Islamabad, acting inspector general Islamabad and senior officers of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Ministry of Interior.

Chaudhry Nisar said indifference to this responsibility or lackluster approach in addressing problems of people will invite serious notice and action. Noting that a lot of good work has been done in issuance of visas and areas of immigration, he said, a lot more still needs to be done to streamline the system and remove various lacunas. With launching of the online visa application and online visa regime, the minister said any anomaly in issuance of visas would be effectively eliminated. He said central visa database is essential as it would enable the state institutions to keep a tab on all those travelling to Pakistan on any visa category. He also directed speedy completion of the concept paper for modern Immigration and Border Control Department to ensure strict surveillance of Pakistan's land, sea and air route entry/exit points on borders. The minister observed that as first step, a separate body of immigration and border management should be set up under the FIA.

Chaudhry Nisar said modern immigration department would strengthen border control management of the country which is currently managed by FIA. The FIA officials gave a detailed briefing over recoveries in various cases including human trafficking and from various petroleum marketing companies in lieu of petroleum levy. It was told that the FIA has recovered Rs2.513 billion in various cases in year 2016. An amount of Rs2.13 billion has also been recovered and deposited in national treasury in inquiry into recovery of Petroleum levy. 

It is pertinent to mention that recoveries by FIA in 2010 were Rs528 million, Rs690 million in 2011 and Rs110 million in 2012. The recoveries by FIA during present government tenure stood at Rs2.23 billion in 2013, Rs2.27 billion in 2014 and Rs6.39 billion in 2015. The meeting was told that a fine to tune of Rs94 million was imposed on various foreign airlines for bringing in passengers without valid Pakistani visas and such airlines were directed to take back hundreds of such passengers. On issue of action against individuals involved in blasphemous content on social media, the minister reiterated that blasphemous and terrorism related content on social media were both intolerable for state of Pakistan and directed that legal assistance of respective countries should also be solicited against those who are promoting or funding such an ill-activity from abroad. The minister directed the FIA to continue working with Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for removing all those social media pages which could cause religious unrest in the society or glorifying terrorism or terrorists on the internet.   The ICT Administration gave a detailed briefing on various steps taken for enhanced security of capital including that of shrines and various entry and exit points.