§ Mr. SarwarTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current status of the high commission in Islamabad; and when he expects it to be fully operational. [137832]
§ Mr. MullinAs a result of the security situation in Pakistan our high commission in Islamabad operated for a substantial period with severely reduced staff. This reduced our visa section's capacity to provide a full service. In recent months service levels have increased significantly. Islamabad has handled over 81,000 entry clearance applications so far this year.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is committed to restoring a full visa operation in Pakistan as soon as is practical. The high commission in 1054W Islamabad announced on 17 November that it would be expanding the service it offers to include visitors who have travelled to the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America within the last ten years. fiancé(e)s applying to settle in the UK, EU dependants and those applying for family reunion.
The Foreign Secretary will be writing to all members shortly to set out these changes and the way forward in more detail.