Pakistani Envoy In Kabul Vows Settling Visa Problems

They said that some elements inside and outside the embassy are asking for money from the applicants and the issue has created major irregularities.
“There are a lot of people here. We came here at 2am and we are still waiting for our turn,” said Bibi Hawa, a visa applicant.
 
“I have applied for the visa four times. Each time, I waited for seven or eight days to get a visa. Why?” asked Hussain Ali, a Kabul resident. 
 
“This is the fifth day that I am coming here. My wife is sick, but I cannot get a visa,” said Mohammad Anwar, a visa applicant from Baghlan province.
Most of the applicants want to go to Pakistan for medical treatment.
 
“Every day I come here. We have patient. Those who pay money get it, but those who don’t, they cannot get a visa. The embassy is not solving our problem,” said Azad Khan, a Kabul resident.
 
But officials from the Pakistani embassy promised to take in consideration all complaints regarding the visa services to the applicants.
 
“We are also planning construction activities both in Kabul and Jalalabad, because as you may have seen that we have a huge number of people coming to our embassy in Kabul and Jalalabad. Around 3,000 to 4,000 people are coming every day. So to give them excellent facilities, we are planning some construction, purpose-built, counselor buildings which will also facilitate them,” said Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Zahid Nasrullah Khan.
 
Some applicants claimed that if they pay $180, they will get the Pakistani visa in one day.
 
At the same time, the security forces who are undertaking the security of the embassy are also accused of taking bribes from the applicants.
 
“The problem takes root from our own officials, they are not seeing the problems of the people,” said Siraj Rashidi, a visa applicant from Baghlan province.
 
“Two individuals were arrested yesterday. Today also some agents were arrested with seven passports who had link with the embassy,” said Basir Mujahid, spokesman to Kabul police.
 
Previously, Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul was issuing 700 visas to Afghans on a daily basis, but now this figure has increased to over 1,000 visa per day.