British High Commissioner Jane Marriott discussed visa delays affecting Pakistani students with Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and assured that the matter would be addressed.
ISLAMABAD: British High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriott has assured Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights Azam Nazeer Tarar that issues faced by Pakistani students due to delays in UK visa processing will be addressed.
Marriott met Tarar in Islamabad, where the federal minister raised concerns over delays in visas for Pakistani students seeking to pursue higher education in the United Kingdom.
The meeting also covered bilateral relations between Pakistan and the UK and matters of mutual interest.
During the discussion, Tarar said hundreds of Pakistani students were facing difficulties because of delays in obtaining their visas. He warned that prolonged delays could cause students to miss the start of their academic programmes and potentially lose an entire academic year.
The minister also briefed the British High Commissioner on efforts to improve the legal and institutional framework governing Pakistani students studying abroad.
A committee headed by the law minister has been working on reforms to the framework for overseas education. According to the briefing, the committee has also prepared recommendations on the issue following directions from the prime minister.
Tarar stressed the importance of removing obstacles that prevent Pakistani students from accessing educational opportunities abroad.
Pakistan-UK Educational Cooperation Discussed
Marriott assured the minister that the issue of visa delays affecting Pakistani students would be addressed.
The two sides also discussed ways to strengthen educational links between Pakistan and the United Kingdom and further develop institutional cooperation between the two countries.
Minister of State for Law, Justice and Human Rights Barrister Aqeel Malik also attended the meeting.
The discussions come as Pakistani students facing delays in UK visa processing continue to seek timely decisions to avoid disruptions to their studies.
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