Visit Indian Travel Sites
Goa,
Kerala,
Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh,
Delhi,
Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh,
Assam,
Sikkim,
Madhya Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir
Karnataka
|
US warns Pak about serious repercussions of visa denials | Expressing serious concerns over the deliberate delay caused by the Pakistani authorities in issuing visas to American officials, the US State Department has said that such a move could prove detrimental to Washington ’s efforts to help stabilise the troubled nation. Addressing a regular briefing here, State Department’s
deputy spokesperson, Robert Wood, while confirming reports about Pakistan’s denial
to grant visas, said if the issue persists for long then it would have serious
repercussions on the relationship of both the countries. “Well, it is true. Hundreds
of visa applications and renewals for US officials and contractors are awaiting
issuance by the Pakistani government. The cause of the delays is unclear,” Wood
said. Wood said efforts are on to resolve the issue, The Dawn reports. Asked if
the delay was having an impact on US-Pakistan relations, he said : “In terms of
what kind of an impact it may have, I would suspect, if this continues, it will
indeed have an impact on our ability to do the work that we want to do to help
the Pakistani people, in terms of fighting terrorism; in terms of economic development,
and a whole range of issues.” Replying to a question on whether there was a deliberate
campaign to harass US officials, the spokesperson said the Obama administration
is trying to work out the problem with Islamabad, but added that there are cases
that the White House is ‘concerned about’. “I don’t think I can call it a deliberate
campaign” but “certainly, if any of our officials feel that they are being harassed,
there are appropriate channels to go through in order to file complaints about
that sort of thing,” he added. According to US officials the Pakistani authorities
have refused to extend or approve visas of at least 100 US officials in the recent
past. Moreover, frequent checking of American diplomatic vehicles in major cities
across the country has also irked the foreign officials. According to a diplomat,
who is privy to the issue, several top officials, including military attachés,
C.I.A. officers, development experts, junior level diplomats and others have fallen
prey to this practice. The obstinate attitude of the Pakistani agencies has also
hampered the aid flow into the country. |
|
|
|
|
|