GoI reviews policy for Visa issuance to foreigners of Pakistani origin

The Government of India (GoI) is reviewing the process of Visa issuance to all foreigners of Pakistani origin, due to the fallout of David Headley and his aide Tahawwur Hussain Rana’s case. According to a report in the Times of India, in a reply in the Rajya Sabha recently, Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said that the ministry has initiated an inquiry into how Rana and his wife Samraz Rana Akhtar managed to acquire Indian Visas.

“The policy for issue of Visas to all foreigners of Pakistani origin is under review,” said Tharoor, adding that heads of Indian mission and posts in the US have the discretion to grant Visas to US and Canadian citizens of Pakistani origin as per the existing norms.

G K Pillai, Union Home Secretary said the country needed to take a new look at its Visa policy to inspect people travelling on passports issued by countries which are considered to be ‘safe’ from the point of view of counter-terror .