The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday directed Pakistan's Mission in Nigeria to adopt a cautious approach in issuing visas to Nigerian nationals in consultation with the Ministry of Narcotics Control to control drug trafficking.
In a written reply, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi informed the National Assembly that the Senate Committee on Narcotics had not recommended any inquiry into the matter against the employees of Pakistan Embassy in Nigeria for their involvement in issuing business visas to African nationals.
The Ministry has directed Pakistan's Mission in Nigeria to take a cautious approach, while issuing visas in future and seek advice from the Ministry of Narcotics Control and advised the Ambassador to ensure his attendance in the forthcoming session of the Committee, which is still awaited.
Qureshi said that the last meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Narcotics Control, to discuss the issuance of visas to Nigerian nationals arrested in Pakistan for their involvement in drug trafficking, was held on May 19, 2008.
The Foreign Minister had attended the meeting and briefed the Committee that in view of enormous trade potential in the African countries and growing interests of international and regional players in Africa, Pakistan needs to take concrete steps to reap the benefits of trade and investments in Africa.
He further briefed that a number of convicts held visas, which were not issued by Pakistan Mission in Nigeria and as such the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Embassy of Pakistan in Abuja, may not be held accountable for issuance of these counterfeit visas.
It was suggested in the meeting that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs might direct Pakistan Ambassador in Abuja to appear before the Committee for clarification during the next meeting of the Committee. 'The Ministry had, however, scrutinised the entire visa record received from our Embassy in Abuja, which revealed that the Embassy was not involved in the issuance of visas, which the majority of drug traffickers arrested in Pakistan had held,' the reply said.
Further, the record overwhelmingly showed that a number of potential drug traffickers had travelled to Pakistan on fake visas.
The Mission issued only eight visas, out of 94 Nigerian arrested in 2006 and 30 out of 66 Nigerian arrested in 2007. Responding to another inquiry, the Minister for Foreign Affairs has said that the tenure of appointment of Ambassadors or High Commissioners from Foreign Service at one place is around three years. This may, however, vary due to exigencies of service.
He further said that a total of 43 Pakistan Embassies are housed in building owned by the government of Pakistan. To a question, he said that the names of the countries, where non-career Pakistani Ambassadors and High Commissioners have been posted, are Austria, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Portugal, Sri Lanka, UAE, UK, Ukraine, USA (Washington) and UN, New York.