Pakistan launches new online visa policy

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday launched a new visa policy for 175 countries in a bid to promote tourism and investment.

Like Pakistan’s economy, tourism industry was also badly affected as the country battled a home grown insurgency for over a decade and lost over 70,000 lives.

In a bid to revive tourism and promote foreign investment in the country, Prime Minister Imran Khan launched the new online E-Visa Policy Project at an event where said that 90 countries would be offered business visa, while 55 countries would be granted visa on arrival.

He said visa fee has been reduced significantly to attract more and more tourists to Pakistan.

Under new policy, citizens of Turkey, China, Malaysia, UK and UAE would be given an E-visa policy in the first phase.

The facility would be extended to 175 other countries in the next phase.

Turkey

Pakistan Embassy in Ankara organized an event where the inauguration ceremony of Pakistan Online Visa System was screened live from Islamabad.

Turkish dignitaries, tour operators and Pakistanis based in the Turkish capital attended the event.

Turkey is one of the five countries whose citizens would avail the new e-visa facility for visit to Pakistan.