Pakistan Cabinet Ratified the Landmark Visa Pact with India

Pakistan’s Cabinet on 31 October 2012 ratified four recent agreements with India. The major of which is landmark visa pact aimed at facilitating restrictions on several categories of travellers, including senior citizens and businessmen.

The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister of Pakistan M Raja Pervez Ashraf who also ratified  three other agreements that is going to promote trade between the Pakistan and India.

The visa agreement was signed by then external affairs minister S.M. Krishna and Pakistan’s interior minister Rehman Malik in Islamabad on 8 September 2012.

The pact was ready for signing in May 2012 but was held up entirely due to opposition from Rehman Malik, who wanted Indian External Affairs minister to come to Pakistan for signing it.

The agreement introduces new categories for group tourist visas and pilgrim visas and relaxes restrictions on travel by senior citizens, businessmen and persons of one country married to a citizen of the other.

The two countries are also discussing other measures aimed at boosting bilateral trade and cooperation in new areas like opening of bank branches and cross-border investments.

Both the countries asserted they intend to increase bilateral trade to six billion dollars by 2014.