PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has issued a written judgment in a petition challenging the refusal to extend the visa of an Afghan businessman and his family, directing the relevant authorities to decide their pending visa extension applications within 15 days.
According to the written judgment, the petitioners are engaged in business activities in Pakistan and are registered taxpayers with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). They also possess National Tax Numbers (NTNs) and are members of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The court observed that the Director General of Immigration and Passports, Islamabad, had failed to decide the visa extension applications of the petitioner and his family members within a reasonable time.
The delay in deciding the applications had caused difficulties for the petitioners. The court stated that visa extension requests should be considered and decided in accordance with the law within a reasonable period.
According to the judgment, the petitioners had formally submitted applications even after the expiry of their visa validity, but no decision had so far been made on those applications.
The high court directed the relevant authorities to examine the pending visa extension applications in accordance with the law and issue a detailed decision within 15 days.
The written judgment further clarified that the authorities must decide the applications on the basis of the applicable law and the available record.
The court directed the concerned officials to avoid keeping the visa extension matter pending unnecessarily and to complete the process within the prescribed period.
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