Leading media persons of Pakistan and India in a joint statement called upon the Foreign Minister of Pakistan Hina Rabbani Khar and the Minister for External Affairs of India SM Krishna to grant visas to journalists as per the regime under which visas are granted to businessmen.
South Asian Free Media Association’s (SAFMA) Secretary General Imtiaz Alam expressed his apprehensions regarding the MoU being signed in Islamabad on visa regimes. He demanded of the foreign ministers to fulfil promises which successive governments of the two countries had made to allow free movement of journalists. While addressing successive SAARC Journalists Summits, organized by SAFMA, foreign ministers of Pakistan and India along with those of other member countries assured SAFMA delegates from all countries of liberalizing visa regime, including granting of SAARC (Visa) Sticker for travel across the region. The Council of Ministers of SAARC had twice decided to issue SAARC Sticker to journalists from member countries. However the decision has not been allowed to take affect by the governments of India and Pakistan. Through a joint statement, media personnel urged the governments of Pakistan and India to grant multiple-entry one-year visas exempted from police reporting and without the restrictions on entry and exit points.
