LONDON: Overseas Pakistan Foundation (OPF) Chairman Syed Qamar Raza has written to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar clarifying that some misinformation was spread after the Pakistan High Commission signed a contract with Gerry for consular and visa services in the UK.
In his letter, Raza informed DPM Dar that during his visit to the UK, he held consultations with prominent community leaders, who expressed their overall satisfaction with the planned system of consular services, which will be provided through Gerry's Visa, along with Pakistan High Commission in London and Nadra Pak identification platform.
The OPF chief noted that concerns had previously been raised within the community about the possible discontinuation of direct consular services by the High Commission, which had raised fears that overseas Pakistanis would be forced to rely solely on Gerry's.
However, Raza clarified that the Pakistan High Commission will continue to offer consular services in parallel with the identification of Gerry and Pak. He said this clarification has been widely welcomed by the community.
The OPF chairman recommended that the High Commission actively promote this position to ensure clarity and prevent misinformation among overseas Pakistanis.
Raza added that he was sharing the “true sentiments of the community” with the government and had also submitted input from local representatives, including Cllr Tariq Dar, for consideration.
Earlier this week, Pakistan's High Commission in London said it had awarded a contract to Gerry's Visa Services Ltd to provide additional consular services across the UK, marking a significant step towards greater convenience for the British Pakistani diaspora.
The decision, approved by the Ministry of External Affairs in Islamabad, followed a fully transparent competitive bidding process carried out in strict accordance with the rules of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), the High Commission said in a statement.
Only locally registered British companies were eligible to participate, and the entire selection process, which included rigorous due diligence and compliance with all regulatory requirements, took four months to complete, it said.
The new agreement is expected to particularly benefit Pakistani citizens living in remote areas of the UK who previously faced difficulties and high costs in traveling to the High Commission in London or its consulates.
The statement read: “By offering these additional facilities, the initiative will save applicants time and transport costs. Gerry's International will also extend services to weekends, providing greater flexibility to the community. Regular consular services will continue uninterrupted at the Pakistan High Commission in London and consulates in Birmingham, Manchester, Bradford and Glasgow.”
It has been clarified that the role of the new facilitation centers is strictly limited. They will only handle the processing and data entry of passport applications, visa applications, NICOP applications and the collection of documents for certification. Powers, land matters and all other services will remain the sole responsibility of the High Commission and its four consulates.
All decision-making on applications will continue to rest solely with the Government of Pakistan, including relevant authorities such as Nadra, IMPASS, Mofa, MOI or Pakistan Missions.
