The Pakistan government has assured India that advocates visiting the country will be given one-year multiple entry visas and the legal fraternity will be exempt from police verification.
According to Supreme Court Bar Association president P.H. Parekh, who recently led a delegation to Islamabad, said the Interior/Home Minister had agreed to his request in this regard.
The delegation of 80 lawyers was in Pakistan for six days to attend an international conference on “Peace through Law.” It was inaugurated by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad. Judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the Chief Justices and judges of different High Courts in Pakistan and about 8,000 members of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan participated.
Mr. Parekh, in his speech, requested Senator A. Rehman Malik, Interior/Home Minister to host a new visa regime.
He said members of the legal profession of the two countries must get visa easily.
To begin with, he said, members who were recommended by the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association of the respective country might be granted a one-year multiple entry visa for the entire host country. He requested that Panja Sahib and Nankana Sahib be declared holy cities.
The Indian delegation had interaction with members of the Bar in Lahore and Rawalpindi
Mr. Parekh said the governments of Pakistan and India should release prisoners of each other country, a gesture necessary to prove that both countries were against human rights violations.
