The decision on issuance of multiple-entry and reporting-free visas for businessmen of India and Pakistan may be taken at the next Home Secretary level talks. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jyotiraditya Scindia said a formal decision on this is expected to be taken at the forthcoming meeting of Home Secretary of India and Secretary of Ministry of Interior of Pakistan.

Mr Scindia was replying to a query that whether both nations have held discussions on multiple-entry and reporting-free visas for businessmen as part of reducing non-tariff barriers
to promote trade and economic ties. Mr Scindia informed that visa restriction is considered a major hurdle by traders in the normalisation of bilateral trade ties.

Quoting the joint statement issued after the two Commerce Minister level talks in April, he said that both trade ministers expressed a joint wish that business visa regime needs to be liberalised at the earliest. AIR correspondent reports tht the Home-Secretary level talks are likely to be held in Islamabad later this month.