Red tape foils Indian fans
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By Ayanjit Sen
BBC correspondent In Delhi
Indian cricket fans flocking to Pakistan’s High Commission in Delhi to obtain visas for India’s forthcoming tour have been stumped by bureaucracy.
The fans had queued from early on Wednesday, the first day that Pakistani authorities were scheduled to issue visas to Indian fans
But although some applications were handed in, no visas were issued.
Jostling his way through the queues and thumping the counters to force them open, Surender Mohan says he did not expect this kind of chaos.
Surender, who is in his 50s, bought five tickets for a one-day international in Lahore this month.
But securing a Pakistani visa has become a nightmare.
Witnessing history
“I have been standing outside the High Commission since six in the morning but there has been no information from the visa authorities,” he says.
“I have bought five tickets online for £140 and have also sent my passport details. There should have been a detailed policy for issuing cricket visas to Indians fans,” says Surender.
He is taking along his 90-year-old uncle among other relatives to watch the match in Lahore.
“It is a great moment in the history of India and Pakistan as the Indian team is visiting after a gap of nearly 14 years. Though I can watch it on television, being there at the ground to support your team is different. It is also an opportunity to visit Pakistan,” Surender says.
The Indian tour to Pakistan starts on 11 March with a practice match.
Surender is not alone in suffering visa problems.
Aftab Beg, a microbiologist from Haridwar in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, says: “I want to witness history in Pakistan when India play the first one-day international at Karachi. The Pakistani visa authorities should have given us some information regarding visas.”
Another cricket fan, Vipul Gupta, a student, fears his tickets may become worthless.
“I am going back to Jalandhar after waiting here for nearly eight hours. I have bought tickets online for Karachi and Rawalpindi and if the visa is refused there’s no way of getting back the money,” he says.
No one at the High Commission was available for comment.
But some of the regular visa-seekers gave the cricket fans short shrift.
“What is this commotion all about?” asked Delhi resident Kaleem Khan.
“I have family members in Lahore whom I want to visit and I am not going there to watch any cricket. But I am sitting down quietly to await my turn.”
Some tour operators are now seeing an opportunity to offer holiday packages in Pakistan.
“We have announced a three-night holiday package where we are offering match tickets for Lahore and other attractions,” says Chobi Chowdhury, an executive working with the Incentive Destination tourism company.
“If we have 20 or more people interested, we can even have a former Test player accompanying them.”
