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severe consequences for citizens wishing to visit their kin on the other side of the border. After the Mumbai attacks, the exercise of getting a visa, especially for Pakistanis, has become a virtual nightmare. The whole process of obtaining visas smacks of an intent to discourage people from applying. However, that may change. It appears that the Joint Working Group of Pakistan and India finalised a new draft visa agreement in New Delhi on Friday. The draft will now be submitted to both governments so that it can be signed at an early date. Reportedly, businessmen and senior citizens would be given multiple entry visas while people in general may be allowed to visit up to five cities instead of the current three. Any liberalisation of the visa regime between the two countries is welcome. And perhaps the most concrete move in this direction would be reopening the Indian consulate in Karachi and the Pakistani consulate in Mumbai. Both were shut down in the mid-1990s. In fact, this would constitute a major confidence-building move in the overall effort to normalise relations. Most Pakistanis wishing to travel to India hail from Karachi and other parts of urban Sindh, hence reopening the Indian consulate would be a much-needed convenience. If reopening the consulates is not feasible, perhaps visa-processing centres can be set up to facilitate the applicants. There is also a need to reduce the visa-processing time. Background security checks are understandable, but the current visa regime leaves applicants in limbo, waiting for months on end for their passports to be stamped. The tedious requirement of police reporting and a limit on the number of cities travellers can visit must also be replaced by more liberal rules. Tourism visas could also be granted to allow people without family links to visit each other`s country fortunately, group tourist visas are reportedly being considered. At present, people belonging to divided families are suffering the most. Unless the visa regime is made more flexible, there may come a time when family links will be permanently severed. It is within the power of the two governments to prevent this and remove political blockades to ease visa restrictions. It has been noted that diplomats need to have more of a say in visa policy than the interior/home ministries and the security establishments of the two countries. Leaders on both sides have expressed their wish for normal relations; easing visa restrictions and letting people travel freely will be the most practical demonstration of this desire.