Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) Acting President Shakeel Munir has called upon the Government of Pakistan to take up the matter with the Saudi Government for urgent withdrawal of biometrics system being enforced for Pakistani umra aspirants “as it will create a lot of unnecessary difficulties for the Pakistanis travelling for umra”.
Talking to a delegation of Travel Agents Association of Pakistan (TAAP) during its visit to ICCI, Munir said, “The same condition was reportedly imposed by the Saudi government on the citizens of India, Bangladesh and Iran but the governments of these countries refused to accept it. Resultantly, the Saudi government had to withdraw the condition.”
The delegation alleged that Saudi government has awarded a contract to a company to process umra visas in Pakistan after the introduction of the biometric system. They were afraid that a single company would not be able to handle over 800,000 annual umra visa applications due to which many Pakistanis would be deprived of the opportunity to proceed for umra. They stressed that Pakistani authorities should approach the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad for reconsideration of this condition.
The ICCI acting president said that a large number of Pakistanis from all over the country go for umra every year and if the biometric system is adopted, they would have to wait in long queues for giving thumb impressions. He said that the Saudi government had every right to introduce any system for the visa seekers but the biometric system should not be imposed forcefully.
“If it was not possible for Saudi authorities to withdraw this condition, then the Suadi Embassy should install biometric machines at all international departure points of Pakistani airports to facilitate the Pakistanis travelling for umra,” he said.
The delegation comprised of former chairmen Rana Gafoor, Zahid Saleem, FATA Chairman Chaudhry Muhammad Tariq and FATA General Secretary Sardar Muhammad Amir of TAAP.
