Day: December 22, 2020

Islamabad, December 22, 2020 (PPI-OT): A 10 member delegation of Bahawalpur Bar Association, headed by its President Mr. Liaqat Sami Khan and comprising office bearers called on the Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr. Justice Gulzar Ahmed in Supreme Court Islamabad today i.e. 22.12.2020. Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr. Justice Gulzar Ahmed welcomed the delegation and inaugurated a newly developed website of Bahawalpur Bar Association.

Talking to the delegation, his lordship said that without assistance of the bar the administration of justice cannot be done properly. He advised them to appear in court with full preparation, devotion and dedication and asked them to grasp full knowledge of law along with other subjects like philosophy, history, geography, literature that will help them plead the cases properly. He also advised them to maintain decorum of courts while assisting the courts.

The delegation discussed issue of mutual interest regarding the legal profession. The Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan shared his experience and views with them. They thanked the Hon’ble Chief Justice for taking out time from his busy schedule for them and invited his lordship to visit Bahawalpur Bar Association. The Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the delegation.

For more information, contact:
Principal Information Officer,
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +92-51-9252323, +92-51-9252324
Fax: +92-51-9252325, +92-51-9252326
Email: piopid@gmail.com
Website: www.pid.gov.pk

Islamabad, December 22, 2020 (PPI-OT): Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has issued visas to two groups of Indian Hindu Yatrees in December 2020 for visit to their revered sites in Pakistan. Yesterday, a group of 47 Indian Hindu Yatrees has been issued visas. They would visit Shree Katas Raj Temples, also known as Qila Katas or complex of Katas Temples in Chakwal district of Punjab, Pakistan from 23-29 December 2020. The Katas Raj temples surround a sacred pond to Hindu devotees. Another group of 44 Indian Hindu Yatrees returned yesterday from Pakistan where they participated in the 312th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Shiv Avtari Satguru Sant Shadaram Sahib, at Sukkur, Sindh from 15-21 December 2020.

More than three centuries old temple, Shadani Darbar, is a holy place for devotees from across the world. The temple was founded in 1786 by Sant Shadaram Sahib, who was born in Lahore in 1708. Thousands of Indian Sikh and Hindu pilgrims visit Pakistan under the bilateral Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines of 1974, to observe several religious festivals/occasions every year.

The visas issued from New Delhi are in addition to the visas granted to Sikh and Hindu pilgrims participating in these events from other countries. The issuance of pilgrimage visas to Sikh and Hindu pilgrims is part of the Government of Pakistan’s endeavours to facilitate their visits to religious shrines. Pakistan remains committed to preserving sacred religious places and extending all possible facilitation for the visiting pilgrims of all faiths.

For more information, contact:
Principal Information Officer,
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +92-51-9252323, +92-51-9252324
Fax: +92-51-9252325, +92-51-9252326
Email: piopid@gmail.com
Website: www.pid.gov.pk

Islamabad, December 22, 2020 (PPI-OT): The High Commission for Pakistan, London and its Sub-Missions at Birmingham, Bradford, Glasgow and Manchester will remain closed on the following days:

1. Friday, 25 December, 2020 (Christmas and Birthday of Quaid-i-Azam)

2. Monday, 28 December, 2020 (Bank Holiday/Boxing Day)

3. Friday, 01 January, 2020 (New Year) it may be noted that general visa and other consular services will not be available on these days.

Applicants may schedule their visits accordingly.

For more information, contact:
Principal Information Officer,
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +92-51-9252323, +92-51-9252324
Fax: +92-51-9252325, +92-51-9252326
Email: piopid@gmail.com
Website: www.pid.gov.pk

Islamabad, December 22, 2020 (PPI-OT): In order to facilitate movements of Afghan nationals to Pakistan, Pakistan Embassy in Kabul and its Consulates in Afghanistan have ensured implementation of Pakistan government’s new liberal visa policy for Afghan nationals enacted on 29 September 2020 in letter and spirit. In this regard, this Embassy has taken following measures for facilitative visa processing of large number of Afghan applicants for Pakistani visa:

Number of windows for collection of visa application forms has been increased from 7 to 17, which has resulted in enhanced visas processing capacity for the applicants.

Issuance of long-term multiple entry visas to all categories of visitors (one to five year visas).

Taking a forward-looking friendly step, Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul and its Consulates in Jalalabad, Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif at the instruction of government have introduced online visa/E-visa for Afghan nationals. This enables the applicants to apply for visas online from the website visa.nadra.gov.pk on a 24/7 basis.

Separate windows have been designated for applicants for medical treatment, students and business people.

Separate windows have been designated for female visa applicants.

Students are being issued visas for their entire duration of studies according to the education programme in Pakistan.

As a result of these concrete measures, this Embassy and our Consulates have issued 150,000 visas during the months of October and November alone. In addition to this, around 12,000 online E-visas have been issued by the Embassy during past one and a half month.

Due to the above stated facilitative steps taken by the Embassy, we have been able to manage the large number of visa applicants in a dignified manner. In this regard, the Embassy would like to advise the visa applicants to come to the Embassy during visa hours in the morning where enough visa processing capacity is available to entertain them. The visa applicants do not need to wait for visas outside the Embassy during night hours. The Embassy and our Consulates will continue to process visas of Afghan nationals in a dignified and honourable way. It is further pointed out that visas for Afghan nationals except businessmen are without any fee. The Embassy reiterates that there is no visa agent for the Embassy.

The applicants are advised not to pay any fee/charges in the name of facilitation to process visa to any agents or middlemen. Pakistan’s Consulates in Jalalabad, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif have also taken similar facilitative measures. The Embassy once again thanks the Afghan authorities for assisting the Embassy for managing the large number of visa applicants on daily basis and looks forward to their continued cooperation and support.

For more information, contact:
Principal Information Officer,
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +92-51-9252323, +92-51-9252324
Fax: +92-51-9252325, +92-51-9252326
Email: piopid@gmail.com
Website: www.pid.gov.pk

Islamabad, December 22, 2020 (PPI-OT): Chairman Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Shehryar Khan Afridi Tuesday urged the Kashmiri bloggers, Vloggers and social media activists to utilize all their potentials and expose the evil Indian designs to help make the World realize what’s happening in Modi’s concentration camps in Kashmir. “Only then the World will know that we exist and we are as humans as everyone else,” said Shehryar Afridi while addressing the Kashmiri social media and youth activists from Azad Jammu and Kashmir here at National Assembly. Shehryar Afridi said that Pakistan has fought the biggest war on land against terrorism and won it. “We have surprised the world with our talent and motivation to fight all the ills including terrorism, drugs and evil agents of the enemy,” he said. He urged the youth to first realize their potential and then work towards polishing their skills.

He urged the youth to stay prepared, for when the time comes to liberate Kashmir from fascist Modi’s grip, youth will be Pakistan’s first line of defence. He said there is no comparison to the patience of half widows, pallet gun victims and prisoners of conscience. He said the Kashmiri freedom fighters like Masarrat Alam Bhat, Asia Andrabi and Syed Shabbir Ahmed Shah are facing hardships in jails just to get Kashmir free from Indian colonial regime. He said that all Kashmiri freedom fighters jailed by India deserved justice and it will be granted soon. He urged all the parties including JUI, ANP, PML-N and the PPP to unite for national interest and security and fight Kashmir’s war as one nation. He told youth of AJK that they have his full support for whichever initiatives they want to take, whether within or outside Pakistan.

For more information, contact:
Principal Information Officer,
Press Information Department (PID)
Tel: +92-51-9252323, +92-51-9252324
Fax: +92-51-9252325, +92-51-9252326
Email: piopid@gmail.com
Website: www.pid.gov.pk