Pakistan on Thursday said it hopes the United States will soon restart immigrant visa processing, calling the recent suspension part of an internal US review.
The US announced on Wednesday that it had stopped immigrant visa processing for Pakistan and 74 other countries from January 21.
The US State Department said the freeze will stay in place until it can make sure new immigrants will not depend on public welfare.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said Pakistan is in contact with US authorities to get more details.
He said the move appears to be part of a review of US immigration policies and added that Pakistan hopes normal visa processing will resume soon. The suspension may delay travel, study, and work plans for thousands of Pakistanis.
Speaking on Iran, Andrabi said Pakistan is closely watching the situation. He said Pakistan values Iran as a neighbour and hopes peace and stability will return.
He said the protests in Iran began because of economic problems and were made worse by sanctions. He added that Pakistan has full confidence in the Iranian people and their leadership.
He also advised Pakistanis to be careful while travelling to Iran and said the Pakistani embassy is helping citizens there.
On India, the spokesperson rejected claims by the Indian army chief about terror camps. He called the accusations baseless and said Pakistan’s efforts against terrorism are known and recognized worldwide.
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