Pakistan seeks more visas for people visiting Ajmer shrine

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has sought an increase in the number visas issued for its people to attend the annual Urs at the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, saying it will strengthen Indo-Pak peace process.

Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi, who is on an official visit to India as the head of the Pakistani delegation taking part in the Urs celebrations during June 14-24, said only 500 Pakistanis are granted visas for the event in Ajmer.

On the other hand, Pakistan grants visas to thousands of Indian Sikhs and Hindus to visit their holy places in Pakistan, he said.

A lot of Pakistanis are keen to visit Ajmer every year but they get disappointed due to the limited number of visas issued by India, he said.

"If India increases the number of Pakistani pilgrims to at least 2,000 from 500, it will give a positive message to Pakistanis and strengthen the ongoing peace process between the two countries," Kazmi was quoted as saying in an official press release.

Kazmi said he would take up the issue of increasing the number of visas for Pakistani pilgrims with Indian authorities.

Referring to Pakistan's ongoing operation against militants and extremists, he reiterated the government's firm resolve to tackle this menace and said the armed forces are determined to eradicate terrorism from the country's soil.

He said there is no question of losing this war as public opinion is in favour of continuing the operations against militants till all objectives are achieved.

Referring to the status of madrassas (religious seminaries) in Pakistan, Kazmi said the government is mulling a plan to impart vocational training to students of these institutions so that they can earn a decent livelihood.

He contended that no madrassas is providing any type of military training to students and that the government is strictly monitoring all seminaries.

Kazmi, who survived an attempt on his life by militants last year, said the Sufi Council of Pakistan plans to establish educational institutions to be associated with shrines of important Sufi saints.

The purpose of establishing such institutions is to spread the message of love and peace as preached by mystics of the subcontinent.