Pakistan has announced a new visa policy allowing citizens from 126 countries, including Bangladesh, to travel to Pakistan without a visa fee, to enhance diplomatic and people-to-people ties.

Pakistan's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Syed Ahmad Maroof, informed about this development to the Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury during a meeting held today at the Secretariat, according to a press release.

During the meeting, the high commissioner highlighted that the new visa policy, which was introduced two weeks ago, aims to simplify travel procedures and promote tourism and business between Pakistan and the included countries.

Bangladesh, being one of the 126 nations on the list, stands to benefit from this initiative.

Maroof emphasised that this policy is part of Pakistan's broader efforts to strengthen bilateral relations and enhance cooperation with Bangladesh. He also expressed optimism that the travel arrangement without any visa fee would lead to increased interactions in various sectors, including trade, education, and cultural exchanges.

In addition to the visa policy, the meeting also covered discussions on resuming direct flights between the two countries, which had been suspended since 2018. The envoy stressed the importance of reinstating these flights to further facilitate travel and business engagements between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The new visa policy is expected to be a major step forward in improving bilateral relations, which have seen a period of relative stagnation over the past 15 years. Both sides agreed on the need to overcome past challenges and work towards a more collaborative future.

Senior officials from both countries, including Kamran Dhangal, Counselor of the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka, and home ministry officials were present at the time.