Ottawa: High Commissioner for Pakistan to Canada Raza Bashir Tarar has applauded the Canadian government for including Pakistani students in the Student Direct Stream (SDS) to ensure a faster processing of their visa applications which are now approved in much less time if biometrics and other eligibility requirements are met.
Talking to a local Canadian radio, he said it was important for the Pakistani students to fill out their visa applications carefully by including all requisite information fully and accurately to avoid visa applications from being delayed or rejected for want of accurate information and documentation.
Raza Bashir Tarar made it clear that the Pakistan High Commission had no role in the issuance of visas to Pakistani students as that was the sole prerogative of the Canadian government. However, he said the Mission had requested the Canadian authorities, including the Immigration Minister of Canada, to look into the reported cases of visa rejections and as per interaction with the Canadian interlocutors, it appeared the visa applications were rejected due to incomplete information and there was compelling evidence to back the media reports of any systematic bias against the Pakistani students.
The High Commissioner said the Canadian officials had been very positive and attentive to the issue and they had been analysing the cases of visa rejections, and the Mission had requested them for sharing the same to satisfy and address the concerns of different quarters, including the media, in Pakistan. He said the Mission had also requested the Canadian authorities to consider shifting the visa processing facility from UAE to Islamabad in view of a much-improved security situation in Pakistan.
About the current state of bilateral relations between Pakistan and Canada, Raza Bashir Tarar said both Canada and Pakistan enjoyed good relations and there had been high-level telephonic contacts between the prime ministers and the foreign ministers of both countries. He was hopeful that there would be high-level visits from both sides in the near future, particularly after the COVID pandemic, as there was considerable potential for bilateral trade and collaborations between both the countries.
To a question, the High Commissioner said the Pakistani Canadians had played a very positive role in cementing the bilateral relationship between Pakistan and Canada. He said the Pakistani Canadians know Pakistan far better than other Canadians. A large number of Pakistan origin Canadians can help us create a better understanding of Pakistan in Canada. The issues like Canadian advisory about Pakistan are due to lack of true understanding of the latest situation in Pakistan. Pakistani Canadians also understand Canada better than many Pakistanis. Because of their knowledge about both societies and markets, they can engage in trade and export products from Pakistan to the Canadian market. Similarly, Pakistani Canadians can also invest in Pakistan because it is a huge market with the prospects of large profits.
Responding to a question about Pakistan being as a tourist destination for the Canadian citizens, Raza Bashir Tarar said Pakistan was an attractive destination for tourists all over the world due to its natural beauty, a large number of highest summits of the world, its cultural diversity and the ancient history. He particularly referred to the religious tourism which was steadily growing in Pakistan and after the opening of the Kartarpur corridor, the number of Canadian Sikhs going to Pakistan had increased considerably. He said Canadian tourists were also going to Pakistan in good number and the situation would further improve once the Covid epidemic was over.