ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday unveiled the new Pakistan Visa Regime for 190 Countries as part of efforts to promote tourism and investments in the Country.
“It is our first step toward ‘Naya Pakistan’ (News Pakistan),”the prime minister said while addressing the ceremony for E-visa launch in Islamabad.
“The new visa regime is a new mindset. This is the mindset that invites people to come and discover Pakistan so they can see for themselves what Pakistan’s potential is,” he said.
The prime minister said that we have made a task force that will ensure we promote ecological tourism in Pakistan.
Imran Khan said that we haven’t sold our archaeological heritage to the world as of yet. He said that there’s a huge “Sleeping Buddha” discovered near Haripur. He said that we have Sikh religious sites, and we’ll market it all to the world now.
“Then we have to promote our beach tourism. The world doesn’t know Peshawar is one of the oldest cities of the world. So we will show this to the world,” he added.
Initially, the E-visa facility will be given to five Countries including Turkey, China, Malaysia, United Kingdom (UK), and United Arab Emirates (UAE) whose citizens will be entitled to apply for Pakistani visa via email at a US $8 fee. Later on, it will be extended to 170 Countries.
Under the Pakistan New Visa Policy, 90 Countries will be offered business visa, while 55 States will be granted visa on arrival.
Following Prime Minister Khan’s successful visits & Pakistan’s friendly relations with China, Malaysia, Turkey, UAE and UK, citizens of these countries will be the 1st to avail immediate 3 months visa. Let’s show the world that Pakistan is peaceful & beautiful.#DiscoverPakistan pic.twitter.com/wMUYFsgyMx
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 14, 2019
Facilitating the businessmen and investors; business visa will be issued within 24 hrs. Overseas Pakistanis can also benefit from speedy visa processing now!#DiscoverPakistan pic.twitter.com/bQ2R6NwSrV
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 14, 2019
In order to promote tourism in Pakistan and celebrate Pakistan’s friendly relations with major nations of the world, Visa upon Arrival facility has been extended for passport holders of 50 countries now instead of just 24 in past! #DiscoverPakistan pic.twitter.com/0bPUt0NIBs
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 14, 2019
Pakistan is blessed with beautiful landscapes and tourist locations. For yrs, we fought the war on terror. Today Pakistan is safer than ever. We welcome the world to #DiscoverPakistan
Prime Minister Khan formally launches E-visa facility for passport holders or 175 countries! pic.twitter.com/1JjSc66tOq— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 14, 2019
Earlier talking to media, the Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that visa fee has been reduced significantly to attract more and more tourists to Pakistan.
The information minister said that the passenger identification system for E-visa facility has been installed at Karachi and Lahore airports while later on it will also be installed at other airports of the Country.
Fawad Chaudhry said that journalists’ visa policy is also being worked out to facilitate western journalists, which will have reciprocal effect for Pakistani media persons.