Pakistan moves to facilitate overseas citizens in Spain: Naqvi

ISLAMABAD, Mar 25 (APP):A high-level meeting chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Saalik Hussain reviewed in detail the progress on facilitating Pakistanis seeking the Spanish Resident Card.

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Federal Interior Secretary, Secretary Overseas Pakistanis, DG FIA, Additional Secretary Foreign Affairs, MD OPF, as well as senior officials from NADRA and the Directorate General of Immigration & Passports attended the meeting.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Spain Dr. Zahoor Ahmed, Consul General in Barcelona Muhammad Ali Wazir, and the Community Welfare Attaché joined the session via Zoom.

It was decided that ahead of Spain’s upcoming regularization scheme for undocumented migrants, passports and other required documents for Pakistani applicants will be issued within one week. Minister Saalik Hussain noted that nearly 15,000 Pakistanis are expected to benefit from the Spanish scheme.

Saalik Hussain expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Interior for its strong support to the Pakistani community in Spain.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi emphasized that the swift issuance of passports to overseas Pakistanis is a top priority. However, he directed that no passport should be issued to any criminal or wanted individual. He also ordered immediate deployment of additional staff to the passport section at the Pakistani embassy in Spain.

Naqvi further stated that the National Police Bureau has significantly streamlined and expedited the verification of police character certificates, which are now being issued on a priority basis.

Ambassador Dr. Zahoor Ahmed and the Consul General provided a detailed briefing, noting that all relevant institutions are working together to ensure timely provision of essential documents to Pakistani nationals. The briefing highlighted that the issuance of passports and character certificates has notably accelerated.

The embassy and consulate have so far issued 10,000 authority letters to applicants as part of the facilitation process.