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According to reports, the British government has softened its visa policy for Pakistan aimed at giving more opportunities to Pakistani nationals and businessmen to visit the United Kingdom. British Minister for Immigration Damian Green said that business visas would be issued in five days and normal visas would be granted between eight and 10 days.1
Meanwhile, Japanese Emperor Akihito has praised Pakistan’s role in the war on terror and acknowledged the sacrifices rendered by its security forces and people. Talking to the visiting Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in Tokyo, Emperor noted that Japan accords great importance to its ties with Pakistan. This was President Zardari’s second meeting with the Japanese emperor. They had met in April 2009, when the President Zardari visited Japan while leading a Pakistani delegation.2
India has proposed two sets of dates i.e. March 21-22, 2011 and March 28-29, 2011 to Pakistan for Home secretary-level talks between the two nations. According to reports India’s Home Secretary Gopal K. Pillai extended the invitation to Pakistan Interior Secretary Chaudhry Qamar Zaman last week and a response from Islamabad was awaited.3
In other developments, diplomatic sources noted that the United States has revived high-level diplomatic and military contacts with Pakistan, indicating a desire to put behind the bitterness created by the arrest of a CIA contractor Raymond Davis in Lahore. In this regard, the US and Pakistani military chiefs held a day-long meeting in Oman. Meanwhile, Pakistan`s Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani was invited to the State Department for a formal meeting with Marc Grossman, the new US Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.4
- 1. “Visa policy softened for Pakistanis”, Dawn, February 23, 2011 at http://www.dawn.com/2011/02/23/visa-policy-softened-for-pakistanis-uk-mi...
- 2. “Pakistan’s anti-terror efforts lauded’, Dawn, February 24, 2011 at http://www.dawn.com/2011/02/24/pakistans-anti-terror-efforts-lauded.html
- 3. “India gives dates for home secretaries talks’’, Dawn, February 22, 2011 at http://www.dawn.com/2011/02/22/india-gives-dates-for-home-secretaries-ta...
- 4. “US ‘ready to mend Pakistan ties’, Dawn, February 25, 2011 at http://www.dawn.com/2011/02/25/us-ready-to-mend-pakistan-ties.html