Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Consulate Closure Troubles Afghans, Pakistanis

Consulate Closure Troubles  Afghans, Pakistanis

PESHAWAR - The closure of Afghanistan’s consulate in Peshawar is causing inconvenience to visa-seeking Afghans and Pakistanis.
The consulate was shut on October 10 in protest against the vacation of the Afghan Market in compliance with a court verdict.
Visa applicants and visitors are stopped and turned away at an army check-post on the Mall Road due to the closure of the diplomatic mission.
A brief statement displayed at the main gate reads: “The consulate is closed for an indefinite period.”
An elderly Afghan citizen, Syed Qayyum, told a Pakistani newspaper: “I have been trying to visit the consulate for the last many days to get back my passport.”
The News quoted him as saying the soldiers did allow him to cross the check-post in the high-security area. He demanded the early opening of the consulate.
About 500 visa seekers and general visitors would come to the consulate on a daily basis before it was closed. But not a single person has been seen outside the visa-window since its closure.
Thousands of Afghan nationals and refugees are living in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and consulate is the nearest point for them to get visas from or have other issues addressed.
Additionally, hundreds of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa residents also approach the consulate for visas for Afghanistan. They are also facing problems. (Pajhwok)