India and Pakistan on Friday
finalised the draft of the new Bilateral Visa Agreement to ease travel
for the nationals of either country desiring to visit the other.
The
draft was finalised during the second meeting of the Joint Working
Group (JWG) on visa matters which also examined the modalities for
streamlining the visa procedures, a Ministry of External Affairs
statement said in New Delhi on Friday.
The
two-day meeting, which was held in pursuance of the decision taken
during the India-Pakistan Home/Interior Secretary-level talks held in
March, was a follow-up on the deliberations held in the first meeting of
the JWG in Islamabad in June earlier this year.
The
meeting was led by Anil Goswami, Additional Secretary (Foreigners),
Ministry of Home Affairs, and Nasar Hayat, Additional Secretary,
Ministry of Interior, from Pakistani side.
"The
discussions were held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere. The two
sides finalized the draft text of the Agreement which will be submitted
to the respective governments for obtaining necessary approvals in order
to sign the Agreement at an early date," MEA said.
According to sources, the draft text provides for hassle-free visa procedure for the businessmen from either country.
It
also provides for more than three destinations for visit in each
country to the travellers from India as well as Pakistan. At present,
travellers are permitted to visit only three places in one visit. 
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