Canada urged to move visa centre back to Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Canada Raza Bashir Tarar has pushed the Canadian government to move the visa processing centre back to its high commission in Islamabad.

During his meeting with the Canada-Pakistan Friendship Group at the Canadian House of Commons, the high commissioner highlighted that other Western countries have also moved their visa centres back to the Pakistan’s federal capital in view of the country’s improved security situation.

According to a press release, the high commissioner briefed the Friendship Group on range of issues, including advisory against travel to Pakistan and high ratio of visa refusal to Pakistani students and traders.

The Pakistani envoy shed light on better security situation in the country and friendly policies of the new government about foreign direct investment available in the automobile, energy, telecom, manufacturing and tourism industries in Pakistan, from which Canadian firms may benefit in various ways.

“Pakistan seeks to revive the full spectrum relations in political, trade, investment and development fields with Canada,” Tarar added.

The Canadian government had shifted its visa processing centre from Islamabad to Abu Dhabi and the United Kingdom owing to the volatile security environment in Pakistan.

Co-chair of Canada-Pakistan Frie­ndship Group Rob Oliphant also briefed the high commissioner on their efforts to promote friendship between the parliamentarians of the two countries.