Pakistani Visitors to shrines in Iran to obtain NOC
'Pakistan Times' National News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis intending to visit Iran to pay homage at Islamic shrines would be required to obtain ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) which would be issued with effect from September 15, according to Interior Ministry spokesman.

Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah said the NOC would be issued by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

The NOC system has been introduced as a precautionary measure as part of efforts to combat human trafficking through Pakistan-Iran border, he told APP.

He said cases had come to notice where human traffickers took people to Iran in the guise of pilgrims for sending them to European countries and this practice would be eliminated through the NOC requirement.

According to interior ministry sources pilgrims would be required to present the NOC along with the application for visa to the Iranian missions.

An applicant would submit the application to the Ministry of Religious Affairs two months before applying for visa to the mission concerned.

No visa application would be entertained by Iranian missions without NOC, the sources said, adding that pilgrims would be required to produce the NOC at all the exit points while leaving Pakistan.●