(MENAFN- Pajhwok Afghan News)
ZARANJ (Pajhwok): Some residents of northwestern Nimroz have once again complained about a high price of Iranian visas for this province compared to other provinces, saying an Iranian consulate should be established here in order to address the issue.
Jawed Zori, a resident of Zaranj, who had submitted his passport to a travel agency for a visa, told Pajhwok Afghan News that there was no consulate in Nimroz, so residents either travel to provinces where there is a consulate or obtain their visas through companies.
He added:“The Iranian consulate in Kandahar does not issue individual visas to Nimroz citizens; they say to submit your passport to the agency. When we give it to the agency, they register it online, and it takes three months for an appointment, costing 12,500 afghanis. If we want an urgent visa, they give us an appointment in a week for 18,000 afghanis.”
He also complained about the high visa costs, saying,“I don't understand why the Iranian visa costs 16,000 afghanis for residents of Nimroz, while it is only 6,000 afghanis for residents of Herat and Farah.”
Zori emphasized that officials had promised to address this issue, but it remains unresolved.
He urged the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to look into this problem and, if possible, establish an Iranian consulate in Nimroz.
Meanwhile, Karima Barakzai, another resident, shared a similar complaint, saying,“It's strange that in one country, the Iranian visa has three different prices... it's like having one roof with multiple skies.”
She called this issue injustice with residents of Nimroz and called for its resolution by the Islamic Emirate.
Additionally, Amanullah Baloch, a resident of Kenj district of Nimroz, who visited a travel agency for his visa, also called for a solution to this issue.
He said he submitted his passport for a visa to a travel agency few months ago, but has only recently been informed that his visa has arrived.
He said,“Yesterday they informed me that my visa has arrived. I wanted to reject it because I was tired; I am going to Iran for work, and now the work season is over, and winter is coming.”
He urged the authorities to establish an Iranian consulate in Nimroz to facilitate the residents and end their frustration.
Meanwhile, Abdul Wahab Khashroodi, head of the Travel Agencies Union in Nimroz, said:“The visa for the Kandahar zone is the same; but its price varies, they add airfare costs, which increases the total cost.”
A regular visa costs 11,000 and an urgent one costs 15,500 afghanis. The Iranian consulate divides the cost of a $290 plane ticket among five passports, which is why the visa price increases, even though residents of Nimroz should not be included in airfare, as they only travel four kilometers by land.”
He added,“We charge 500 afghanis as a registration fee for each passport; the remaining amount is deposited into the Iranian consulate's account, and the profit does not go to the companies.”
He pointed out another problem, saying the visa registration website was only open once a week but closed for two weeks, and when the site is closed, the visa price increases by 1,000 to 1,500 afghanis, which again harms the people. Currently, the site is closed as well.
Khashroodi also called for a resolution to this issue.
However, Maulvi Yar Mohammad Haqyar, head of the Foreign Relations Office in Nimroz, acknowledged that the price of Iranian visas for residents of this province was indeed higher than in other provinces.
He considered the concerns of Nimroz residents as valid, but added that they recently held a meeting with representatives of travel agencies to discuss the matter.
He added:“Travel agency officials say regular visa takes three months, while urgent visa takes one month. We also spoke with the Iranian consulate, and they mentioned having internet issues and insufficient capacity for issuing visas.”
The head of foreign relations about high visa prices said:“To resolve this issue, we have talked to the Iranian consul general in Kandahar, but the consul blamed Afghan airlines, stating that the issuance of a visa involves the agreement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan and the governor of Kandahar. However, upon investigation, we found that the airlines had no issues.”
He said this issue will be discussed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek a solution.
sa /ma
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