Pakistan considers visas on arrival for tourists from China — Dawn
Pakistan is considering introducing a special visa-on-arrival regime for tourists from China entering Gilgit-Baltistan via the Khunjerab Pass. The pilot phase may cover the Hunza and Nagar districts, Dawn reports.
The proposal was discussed on September 15 at a meeting at the Secretariat of the Special Investment Facilitation Council under the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad. The meeting was attended by representatives of the home and tourism departments of Gilgit-Baltistan, the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation, the ministries of interior, foreign affairs and inter-provincial coordination, as well as the tourism industry.
A higher-level decision is needed
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not object to the initiative provided that security checks are conducted. At the same time, the Ministry of Interior noted that visas on arrival for citizens of all countries had previously been suspended due to security considerations. Therefore, an exception for Chinese citizens must be approved at the same level at which the decision to suspend the regime was made.
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Representatives of the Gilgit-Baltistan authorities and local stakeholders proposed testing a separate procedure for Chinese visitors. They pointed to the existing tourism infrastructure in Hunza and Nagar and said that no significant security threats had been identified along the proposed route. The regional authorities also expressed readiness to ensure the protection of tourists.
Pilot for Hunza and Nagar
Raja Nazimul Amin, adviser on international trade and investment in tourism to the president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said that the participants in the discussion had agreed on a phased approach. According to him, at the first stage, visas on arrival are proposed for Chinese tourists traveling to the Hunza and Nagar districts. If the trial is successful, the mechanism may be extended to all of Gilgit-Baltistan.
The Special Investment Facilitation Council instructed the Gilgit-Baltistan government to prepare a detailed proposal. It is to be reviewed by the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, followed by the ministries of interior and foreign affairs, before being submitted to higher authorities for a final decision. The creation of a single online portal for processing no-objection certificates in the border town of Sost is being discussed separately.
