Ahsan tells National Assembly: visa policy made transparent for promoting tourism

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said that there is no change in visa policy and the government is determined to provide maximum facilities to foreign investors and tourists by fulfilling the conditions of security and bilateral agreement.
The minister Wednesday told the National Assembly that visa policy has been made transparent to promote tourism in the country when Dr Shireen Mazari of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) raised concerns over issuance of visa on arrival to visitors from different countries including the US and registration of an international non-governmental organization (INGO). He said that the visas are being issued through the registered tour operators which have been given guidelines in this regard.
He said there are security checks which will not allow entry to undesirable elements, the Black Water or the security contractors. He said that Pakistan has recently been declared an emerging tourist destination and the visa policy is aimed at promoting tourism.
Regarding a question about non-governmental organizations, the minister said, "We welcome the organizations which are working in the development sector. However the ones which have hidden agenda will not be allowed to operate." He said that any non-government organization can file an appeal in the court within 90 days. He said if the court rejects the appeal then the INGO would wind up within 60 days.
Former Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that visas to hundreds of foreigners were issued in the tenure of Musahrraf, who were threat to the security of Pakistan. He said that the issue of visa policy and registration of INGOs should be discussed in the House. "I am ready to present whole record about it in the House," he said.
He said, "When I banned an INGO then former US Secretary of State John Kerry also raised this issue with Pakistan but I asked for third party audit of the amount given to the INGOs in Pakistan. After it America became silent."
He said that some INGOs whose permission of work was within Islamabad but they were working in Balochistan and other parts of the country. The Interior Ministry at that time also issued written bilateral condition for visa on arrival, he said.
Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said that Pakistan is an emerging economy and the government is trying its level best to provide maximum facilities to attract investors, businessmen and tourists in the country.
Responding to a calling attention notice regarding non-supply of clean drinking water to the residents of Islamabad, the interior minister said a project worth Rs 66 billion has been prepared to bring water from Indus River to Islamabad to meet the growing water requirements of the capital. He said that there is 120 million gallons of water per day requirement of Islamabad but 56 million gallons of water are being provided to the capital.
He said work on this project will start this year. He said China has been requested to provide finances for the project under the CPEC. Ahsan Iqbal said that another project of Rs 200 million has been prepared for rehabilitation or replacement of water pipelines in the capital. The National Assembly also unanimously passed a resolution reaffirming support for the just and legitimate struggle of Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination as per the UN Security Council resolutions.
The resolution was moved by Minister for Kashmir Affairs Barjees Tahir in the House for passage. The House adopted the resolution unanimously. The resolution strongly denounced the black laws enacted in the Valley. It said eight hundred thousand Indian troops in Occupied Kashmir have martyred one hundred thousand innocent Kashmiri people, including freedom fighter Burhan Wani. It noted with concerns the detention of hundreds of Hurriyat leaders and workers and registration of fake cases against them.
The resolution pointed out that women and youth have been made victim of state terrorism in Occupied Kashmir whilst use of pellet guns has also affected the eyesight of thousands of youth. It also highlighted the discovery of 7,500 mass graves in Occupied Kashmir. Responding to another calling attention notice about potable water, Minister for Science and Technology Rana Tanveer Hussain said that the ministry took samples of water from various places of the country and analyzed them. He said that 80 per cent water of the country is not fit to drink.
He said that it is a purely provincial issue and provinces should take measures in this regard. He said that his ministry has written letters to the provincial and local governments for clean drinking water. He said that his ministry's prerogative is to check bottled water and it has sealed 130 factories of drinking water.
Answering to a question, he said that provincial governments do not cooperate with the federal government in providing clean drinking water to the people. He said that there is a need to revisit 18th Constitutional Amendment.