PESHAWAR: Deteriorating relations between Islamabad and Kabul are not onlyaffecting bilateral trade between the two neighbouring countries but theyare badly affecting millions of people who frequently travel betweenPakistan and Afghanistan.

The issuance of visa for travellers has now become a serious hurdle asdiplomats of both countries have imposed their own terms and conditions inthis respect.

During frequent visits to Peshawar-based Afghanistan Consulate, this scribehas witnessed long queues of people from dawn to dusk. They also includedwomen with infant children and the elderly.

Soon after 9/11, when the Taliban regime in Kabul fell, Pakistan andAfghanistan decided to issue visas without any fee or charges in a bid tostrengthen relations and improve bilateral trade and other economicactivities.

However, since the last couple of years, diplomats have become notoriousfor minting money through the issuance of visas. Aspirants from bothcountries have confirmed these reports and said that they have to give morebribes in Kabul and Jalalabad than in Islamabad.

The diplomats in Peshawar informed this scribe that every day they areissuing 300 to 400 visas and similar are the statistics from Kabul andJalalabad.

But the number of applicants is much higher, thus angering the visaaspirants from countries.

In order to protest the state of affairs, Pakistani nationals helddemonstrations in front of Peshawar Press Club whereas Afghans ransackedthe visa offices in Kabul and Jalalabad.