Pakistan to regulate visas for Chinese nationals

Pakistan Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar on Monday announced that the process of issuing visas to Chinese nationals will be reviewed and streamlined following the abduction of two Chinese from Quetta.

Expressing his deep concern over the kidnapping, the minister said there was a need to review the visa process and to maintain a data bank of Chinese nationals staying in Pakistan, Xinhua news agency reported.

Nisar ordered that the data bank, which will be prepared by the National Registration Authority, should be shared with all security agencies. His statement came after the minister presided over a high-level meeting in Islamabad

The minister said ensuring the security of foreign nationals was a shared responsibility.

"Where the government makes every effort to provide security to foreigners, the foreign nationals are equally bound to abide by the terms and conditions of their visas and inform local authorities about their movements and activities keeping in view the security requirements," Nisar said.

He said a misuse of the terms of business visa contributed to the abduction of the two Chinese.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday that China would continue to use various channels to gain and verify information about the reported killing of the two Chinese nationals kidnapped in Quetta last month.

--IANS

mr/