Pakistani authorities have rejected claims that official visa fees are being inflated at their end, calling the allegations part of a propaganda campaign driven by certain Afghan social media influencers. According to their statement, Pakistan visa applications are submitted online, and the official fee currently set at USD 8 is also paid digitally through the designated system.
They clarified that local agents or dealers in Afghanistan often charge applicants additional money under various pretexts, but this amount is not part of the official fee structure. Authorities maintain that these extra charges are imposed independently by intermediaries and not by Pakistan’s embassy or consulates.
Steps Taken to Curb Black Market Practices
To address concerns about overcharging and black-market practices, Pakistani officials stated that a biometric verification system has been introduced at the embassy and its consulates. Under this system, each applicant is called in person and required to sign a certificate confirming that no payment beyond the official USD 8 online fee has been made.
The matter, officials added, has been raised multiple times with Afghan authorities, along with supporting evidence. However, they claim Afghan officials have expressed limitations in effectively countering the black market. Pakistani authorities concluded that without concrete action from the Afghan government, the issue cannot be fully resolved.
