Date:05/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/05/stories/2008120561121200.htm

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India tightens visa procedures for Pakistanis

Nirupama Subramanian

ISLAMABAD: India has made it more difficult for Pakistanis to obtain visas in the wake of the Mumbai attacks.

A press release from the Indian High Commission here said that on account of the additional security measures following the attacks, “the processing time for issuing visas would now [take] a minimum of 30 days,” except for medical emergencies.

In recent times, the High Commission was issuing 10,000 to 12,000 visas a month and the minimum processing time had gone down to a week.

The new procedures will mean fewer visas will be issued to Pakistani nationals.