JALALABAD - Religious scholars and tribal elders in eastern Nangarhar province have said Pakistan closed its Consulate General in Jalalabad to hid the corruption conducted under the visa issuance process.
The alleged the Consul daily received money from visa applicants and when the governor stopped the bribe they closed the Consulate and alleged the interference of Governor Hayatullah Hayat in the affairs of the Consulate.
Addressing a press conference here the elders and religious scholars asked the Pakistani government to resume the activities of Consulate and negotiate the problem.
Maulvi Habibullah Jalalabadi told reporters he was with the governor the day he visited the Consulate. The governor set the order outside the Consulate to make sure every applicant get the visa without being disgraced.
Tribal elder Malak Jahanzai Momand asked the Pakistani authority that closure of the Consulate was not the way to resolve the problem and asked to negotiate the matter.
Malak Waris Khan, the elder of Shinwari tribe, said before the closure of the consulate thousands of people waited for the hot weather for visa and stayed during the night at on the road.
Pakistan earlier closed its consulate in eastern Nangarhar province, accusing the governor of meddling in the diplomatic mission’s affairs.
The Pakistan embassy in Kabul blamed Governor Hayatullah Hayat of interfering in the consulate matters. In a statement, the embassy said the meddling was against the law.
The embassy urged Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry to prevent the governor from meddling in the consulate affairs.
Visa applicants have lately been complaining against the consulate, claiming the officials concerned forced them to pay bribes.
They say hundreds of people arrive at the Pakistani diplomatic mission daily to get visas. Only those who paid bribes were issued visas, they allege. (Pajhwok)