Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan and the United States engaged in discussions on consular issues on Wednesday, reflecting the evolving immigration stance of US President Donald Trump’s administration.
This meeting comes amid major changes to immigration-related executive orders and strict scrutiny of illegal immigration, impacting tourism and visa policies.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting to discuss ongoing cooperation between Pakistan and the United States on consular issues.
US Charge d’Affaires Natalie A Baker, federal secretaries of foreign affairs and interior and other key officials attended the meeting.
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Although further details of the meeting were not provided, the latest meeting marks the second such dialogue between the two countries within a week.
The previous meeting, held on March 11, focused on strengthening bilateral ties and addressing mutual concerns, according to The News.
Officials from the Foreign Office indicated that both countries are keen on enhancing economic trade relations, as well as cooperating in counterterrorism and security efforts.
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At the time, the Foreign Office had not commented on whether the matter of Pakistan’s ambassador to Turkmenistan being denied entry into the United States due to “controversial visa references” had been taken up.
The US has also deported several illegal Pakistanis and the Foreign Office has called deportations of Pakistanis from different nations an ongoing process.
