Afghan visa policy.

PAKISTAN has been a destination of 'choice' for millions of Afghans fleeing their strife-torn homeland for the past four decades and counting - in fact, in many cases, this is the only country they can escape to safely. While the initial exodus was sparked by the Soviet invasion, this trend has continued with the Taliban takeover of Kabul last year, creating fresh challenges for this country. Along with fears of Taliban reprisals - especially for those Afghans that worked for the former government, or aided US forces and their foreign allies - Afghanistan's dire economic situation is also fuelling a refugee crisis, as people look for safer, more economically sound countries to settle in. However, Pakistan, facing an economic crisis of its own, is not in a position to host a large number of refugees and asylum seekers. As per the latest UN figures 1.3m Afghans are residing in this country, while over 300,000 have fled their native land for Pakistan since the fall of Kabul. There have been protests by Afghan nationals in Islamabad calling for their speedy resettlement in developed states. In this regard, the government's decision to introduce a new visa policy should address most of the issues regarding the smooth settlement of Afghans in third countries.

According to details of the new policy...