Pakistan’s Jalalabad consulate to be operational from today
islamabad — Pakistan’s Consulate-General in the Afghan city of Jalalabad will resume its visa operations from Monday, the Foreign Office said in a statement on Sunday.
“Pakistan’s Consulate-General in Jalalabad, which was closed on 30th August 2018 will resume its visa operations, after assurances by the Afghan government that all necessary and required security will be provided to the ConsulateGeneral,” Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal said.
“All visa applicants in Jalalabad and surrounding areas within the jurisdiction of the Consulate-General could now apply for visa with the Consulate-General with effect from Monday,” Dr Faisal said.
Last month, Pakistan had closed off its consulate in Jalalabad due to the “undue intervention” by Nangarhar governor Hayatullah Hayat in what a statement issued by Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul referred to as a “complete violation of the Vienna Convention of the Consular Relations 1963”.
“The Embassy of Pakistan Kabul deeply regrets undue intervention of Governor Hayatullah Hayat in the functioning of the Consulate-General of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Jalalabad, (which is a) complete violation of the Vienna Convention of the Consular Relations 1963,” the statement read.
According to Afghan media, Governor Hayat had tried to coerce Pakistani staff to change the visa issuance system that he alleged was causing inconvenience to public.
This provoked the embassy, which had already been upset over the demolition of a security wall by the Afghan authorities, to suspend the operations.
Last month, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had expressed concern over the closure of the country’s consulate and was assured by his Afghan counterpart of a “positive outcome” in the matter.
All visa applicants in Jalalabad and surrounding areas within the jurisdiction of the Consulate-General could now apply for visa with the Consulate General with effect from Monday. Dr Muhammad Faisal, Foreign Office spokesman
Qureshi asked his Afghan counterpart Salahuddin Rabbani to restore security arrangements allowing the consulate general to resume routine activities.
“The issue of closure of the Pakistan Consulate-General in Jalalabad due to a security crisis was also discussed. Qureshi requested the Afghan government for restoring the previous security arrangements existing till 28th August 2018, so that the Consulate-General’s normal functioning could be resumed at the earliest,” said a statement.
According to VoA, Hayat while defending his action said: “We were not happy with activities of the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad. According to our information, the consulate was charging 5,000 ($40) to 20,000 ($160) Pakistani rupees from Afghans for processing their visas.” —