Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday announced that the government is ending visa fee for citizens of 126 countries in a bid to encourage tourism and investment in the country.
Maintaining that the move would attract businessmen, investors, tourists and other travelers and facilitate ease of doing business, he told a meeting of the federal cabinet that the government would recover the funds lost by waiving visa processing fees through foreign exchange earned through investment and tourism. He specifically pointed to religious tourism, stating Pakistan has immense potential for it.
Under the revised visa policy approved by the cabinet, an online visa application system would be enforced and travelers would be able to get visas within 24 hours without paying any fees. A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said visitors would also get the facility of e-gates established at Gwadar Port and nine airports across Pakistan, with initial plans calling for their installation at the Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi airports.
The cabinet also approved a special visa-on-arrival facility for Sikh pilgrims having passports of a third country.
Also on Wednesday, the federal cabinet—on the recommendations of the provincial high courts and the Ministry of Law and Justice—approved the notification of special courts and banking courts, operating under the security exchange commission, with regard to banking cases.
The cabinet also passed a resolution in support of Palestine, demanding the global community make Israel accountable for its crimes against humanity and accelerate efforts to ensure ceasefire and supply of human assistance in Gaza.