Bangladesh didn't stop visas to Pakistanis, says foreign minister

Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen said Tuesday that his country did not stop issuing visas to Pakistanis, amid reports that Dhaka's high commission in Islamabad has stopped issuing visas to Pakistani nationals over a fresh diplomatic row.

"The report should have appeared in the media in the reverse way," he told a press conference in Dhaka, attributing the current crisis to Pakistan's inaction in issuing visas to Bangladeshi diplomats to be posted in Islamabad.

Earlier, the media reported that Bangladesh stopped issuing visas to Pakistan nationals.

"We have not stopped issuing visas to Pakistanis, but delays could happen in some cases which are common worldwide," the minister said.

He said Bangladesh's mission in Islamabad was facing manpower shortage which affected the processing of visas as Pakistan was delaying in issuing visa for Bangladesh's newly appointed visa councilor in Islamabad.

Moreover, he said, Islamabad was not renewing the visa of the officer who was ...