Could Indian Pakistani Visa Waiver bring Everlasting Peace?
19/05/2008 by Liam Clifford
Calls for visa waiver between Pakistan and India have become the key issue being debated by Indian immigration authorities of late.
If their initiative is made law then the Indian visa processes will be less stressful, queues will be reduced and free flow between India and Pakistan will occur, the question is, is this a good thing?
India has become an extremely popular destination for both business and pleasure. At www.globalvisas.co.in, a global immigration and visa service provider applications for tourist and business visas are a daily occurrence. Therefore new laws and more open Indian immigration and visa policies should be profitable for India.
At the moment former Pakistani Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, is calling for visa free travel between India and Pakistan and visa versa. This will be a massive development if approved, particularly as political issues between these countries have been rife for generations.
The idea in concept is to be applauded; however continuous violence with bomb blasts in the tourist town of Jaipur, India last week, poses the question if this free visa idea will work in reality.
Initially there was little to no travel between these two rival countries, with the amount of Indians travelling to Pakistan consistently remaining low.
Current visas for Indians and Pakistanis, which have only been freely distributed since 2004 when the India Pakistan peace process began, are not aimed at travel but are set aside for family events such as weddings, births or funerals.
"The free visas between India and Pakistan will be a call for peace and a new beginning. If utilised in a peaceful manner then this could be a 'Berlin Wall' type of moment for the two countries," says Ajay Hasija of Global Visas in India, "However this must be done with correct and moral intentions," he stresses.
The idea of visa waivers has become a popular political drawing card the world over, particularly as the United States introduce their visa waiver programme that allows free entrance for up to 90 days to specific countries. Countries that have many US visitors and are seen as unlikely to overstay the visa requirements are the ideal countries to be issues this waiver.
With strict US rules like this, the idea of allowing free entrance between two hard fought enemies has to be an issue of debate. One wonders if this will be a peace promoting initiative or just an easier way for hatred between the two nations to spread.
This initiative will certainly have some effect on the long queues for visas at Indian High Commissions around the globe, but time will only tell if this will solve more emotionally fraught political issues.
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