Indian High Commission contacts Pakistani journalists for World Cup visa

The Indian High Commission in Islamabad has started contacting Pakistani journalists to issue them visas for the ongoing World Cup in India.

PTI has spoken with a number of journalists about their visa situation and two of them confirmed receiving their visas for the World Cup.

The others said they got calls from the Indian High Commission asking them to submit their applications for the visa process.

"Out of those journalists whose passports are already submitted with the Indian authorities some have been contacted by the high commission, assuring them visas would be issued on the basis of a list prepared by the authorities of the journalists," a journalist said.

"Clearly the visas are being issued under a set of rules decided by the Indian High Commission," another journalist said.

He said some journalists who had been trying to get visas had dropped the idea of going to India for the tournament.

A senior official of the Sindh Sports Journalists Association in Karachi said many had decided to not go to the World Cup.

The foreign office spokesperson also said on Thursday they were in touch with Indian authorities for the issuance of visas to Pakistani journalists and fans.