Despite disruption, consular services in Kabul continue: Pakistan embassy

In this March 23, 2016 file photo, Pakistan’s ambassador Syed Ibrar Hussain can be seen hoisting his country’s national flag at the embassy in Kabul. Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Afghanistan has requested for more facilities to entertain growing number of people who want to visit Pakistan. (Courtesy Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul)

• Afghan protesters blocked roads leading to the diplomatic facility on Sunday
• More resources required to deal with increasing number of visa applicants, says an official

KARACHI: Pakistan’s mission in Kabul has requested Islamabad to “construct purpose-built consular hall” and provide “adequate human resource” to deal with the overwhelming number of visa applicants who created an uproar outside the embassy earlier in the day, said a foreign ministry official while talking to Arab News on Sunday.
“Consular services of Pakistan embassy in Kabul are continuing smoothly,” Radio Pakistan announced, adding that officials of the Pakistan embassy in Kabul were in close contact with Afghan authorities after some visa applicants created law and order situation by blocking roads leading to the diplomatic facility.
“There was no incident involving the Pakistan embassy premises as claimed in some [media] reports,” the state-owned radio station continued.
A similar protest took place outside the embassy last year on August 18, with protesters demanding a smooth visa process.
Pakistan hosts 1.39 million Afghan nationals who left their country due to decades of conflict, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Many Afghans also visit their eastern neighbor for trade and better health care facilities.
Regarding Sunday’s protest, Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Kabul has informed Islamabad that it took place on the first working day after Eid Al-Fitr since the embassy was dealing with more than the usual number of visa applicants who had to form long queues.
“Few elements at the rare of the queues blocked the road leading to the embassy and started protesting. In response, police arrived and dispersed the crowd,” an official in Islamabad told Arab News on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
“The embassy may increase the number of visa applications collected every day. It may also increase time and number of windows to collect these requests. Other than that, it may also provide more facilities to medical visa applicants,” he continued, adding these were also the three demands protesters conveyed to the embassy officials.
He also claimed that Pakistan’s diplomatic mission always tried to accommodate maximum number of visa applicants. However, it was not always possible to entertain all of them due to the growing number of people seeking to travel to Pakistan since the embassy had limited resources.
“Our diplomatic mission has reiterated that the only possible solution to this chronic problem is the construction of a purpose-built consular hall and provision of adequate human resource,” the official said while quoting the embassy’s communication with the foreign office in Islamabad.