ISLAMABAD - Visiting Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy- Rey on Saturday announced the closure of the visa section at the Swiss embassy in Islamabad as a probe continued into applications abuse. “We are compelled to do so following complaints of maltreatment and harassment of visa applicants and alleged involvement of some of its employees in human trafficking,” she said at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Khurshid M. K.Switzerland was in a difficult situation as a result of abuse of visa procedure, she said, and the visa office would remain closed until further order.
The decision came after the Swiss Foreign Ministry last month ordered a probe into alleged sexual harassment of two Pakistani women in exchange for visas by local visa official Ashar Francis last March. While Asher is in police custody, Pakistani authorities were reported to have approached Interpol for the arrest of another former visa assistant and a retired army Major Arshad, who was AsharÂ’s alleged accomplice and fled to London.
| Sexual harassment of Pakistani women? Does Pakistan even have a law on that? |
Calmy-Rey said there was a little doubt that the embassy had been targeted by a criminal network also engaged in human trafficking. “We are already cooperating and have agreed to further cooperate on the issue with Pakistan,” she said.
Kasuri said their talks had focused on the complaints of visa applicants as well as alleged involvement of some employees of the Swiss Embassy in human trafficking. “I have stressed the point that rights of genuine travelers from Pakistan must be protected and respected,” he added.
| Both of them. |