Bangladesh halts visas for Pakistanis: report

The Bangladesh High Commission in Islamabad has stopped issuing visas to Pakistanis for the last one week, Khaleej Times reported on Wednesday.

According to the publication, not issuing visas is a protest to Pakistan government not clearing the visa-extension application for a Bangladeshi diplomat for the last four months. Bangladesh has reportedly also refused to accept the appointment of a new Pakistani High Commissioner to Dhaka.

Local publication, The Daily Star reported that Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen rejected reports of visas being halted for Pakistanis. The minister did acknowledge that there issues in delaying visas.

“The report should have appeared in the media in the reverse way,” Momen told a news conference at the ministry attributing the crisis to Islamabad’s inaction in issuing visas to Bangladeshi diplomats to be posted there. He added: “We have not stopped issuing visas to Pakistanis, but delays could happen in some cases which are common worldwide”.