ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government on Monday warned overstaying foreign nationals either to leave the country by August 14 or apply online for a visa renewal or an extension so they could get a waiver on being fined.
Federal Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said thousands of foreign nationals who had been staying in Pakistan illegally for the last many years would be expelled from the country forcefully if they failed to abide by new rules.
“August 14 is the cut-off date for all foreigners staying illegally in Pakistan for the last many years,” the interior minister told reporters at a press conference in Islamabad, announcing that the government would waive the fine for overstaying in Pakistan if a foreign national opted to extend or renew their visas even after forty years.
The minister also announced a new system of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to purge the country of people with fake computerized national identity cards.
“I have directed chairman Nadra to introduce the new system within fourteen days,” he said.
In January, the interior minister announced canceling at least 200,000 fake identity cards fraudulently issued to Afghan nationals with the connivance of NADRA officials. NADRA denies the charge.
On Monday, the minister said that at least 39 NADRA officials had been dismissed from service in Karachi for involvement in issuing fake identity documents to foreign nationals, saying he would initiate a crackdown against corrupt officials in other parts of the country too.
Under the new policy, the minister said NADRA would send a text message to all those suspected of having fake identity cards and their responses would also be registered electronically to verify their data.
“Our goal is that nobody should misuse Pakistan’s identity card,” Ahmed said.
Pakistan orders ‘overstaying’ foreign nationals to leave by August 14
https://arab.news/v4kdt
Pakistan orders ‘overstaying’ foreign nationals to leave by August 14
- Interior minister asks them to apply online for visa renewal or extension to get a waiver on the fine
- Announces new NADRA system to purge Pakistan of fake computerized national identity cards
IMF team expected in Islamabad today for loan reviews amid reform scrutiny
- Talks to cover third review of $7 billion bailout and second climate resilience assessment
- Analysts flag revenue shortfall and energy reforms as potential sticking points in negotiations
KARACHI: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff mission is expected to arrive in Islamabad today, Wednesday, to begin discussions on key program reviews that will determine Pakistan’s continued access to funding under its $7 billion bailout and a parallel climate resilience facility.
The visit, confirmed last week by IMF communications director Julie Kozack, will cover the third review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and the second review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF), which supports climate-vulnerable countries.
“We do have a staff team that is expected to visit Pakistan starting February 25th for discussions on the third review under the EFF and the second review under the RSF,” Kozack said at a regular press briefing last week.
The talks come at a sensitive moment for Islamabad, which has spent the past year implementing tax increases, subsidy rationalization and tight monetary policy to stabilize an economy that teetered on the brink of default in 2023.
IMF officials have credited those measures with producing measurable gains. Kozack said Pakistan’s policy efforts under the EFF had helped stabilize the economy and rebuild confidence, pointing to a primary fiscal surplus of 1.3 percent of GDP in the last fiscal year, contained inflation and the country’s first current account surplus in 14 years.
The review is expected to probe fiscal discipline and energy sector reforms, two areas that have historically complicated negotiations between Islamabad and the Fund.
Analysts told Arab News last week that while approval of the next tranche is likely, discussions might not be straightforward.
“This is expected to be a smooth sailing. However, questions might arise,” Shankar Talreja, head of research at Karachi-based Topline Securities Limited, said earlier.
He pointed to a revenue shortfall of Rs336 billion ($1.2 billion) against IMF targets and raised the possibility that the Fund may seek clarification over the government’s recent reduction in electricity tariffs for export-oriented industries, a move designed to support manufacturing but with fiscal implications.
A positive outcome of the review is vital for continued disbursements under the EFF and RSF programs. It will also be important to sustain investor confidence as the country seeks to consolidate its fragile economic recovery.
A successful staff-level review leads to a provisional agreement between the two sides, which then requires approval by the Fund’s Executive Board before the disbursement of the next tranche.
