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Syed Qamar Raza, head of the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), has sent a letter to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to address misconceptions following the Pakistan High Commission’s agreement with Gerry’s for visa and consular services in the UK.
In the letter, Raza explained that during his visit to the UK, he met with key community leaders, who showed general approval for the upcoming consular services provided through Gerry’s Visa, in addition to services at the Pakistan High Commission in London and the Nadra Pakistan ID platform.
He emphasized that earlier worries within the community about the possible ending of direct services through the High Commission were unfounded, noting that the High Commission will continue to offer services alongside Gerry’s and Pak ID. This reassurance has been well received domestically.
Raza recommended that the High Commission actively communicates this position to ensure clarity and prevent the spread of false information among Pakistanis abroad.
He conveyed that he is sharing authentic community sentiments with the government and has included feedback from local representatives like Cllr Tariq Dar for consideration.
Recently, the Pakistan High Commission in London announced it awarded Gerry’s Visa Services Ltd a contract to enhance consular support across the UK. This move aims to offer greater convenience for Pakistani residents in distant parts of the country who previously faced travel challenges and expenses when reaching London or its consulates.
This initiative, approved after a transparent bidding process under PPRA regulations, will particularly benefit those in remote areas. Gerry’s will also extend services to weekends, adding flexibility. However, routine services will still be managed by the High Commission and its consulates in Birmingham, Manchester, Bradford, and Glasgow.
Importantly, the new facilitation centers are restricted to processing passport applications, visas, NICOP applications, and document collection for attestation purposes; other responsibilities like Power of Attorney and land-related services remain exclusively with the High Commission and its consulates.
All application decisions will continue to be made solely by Pakistan’s government agencies such as NADRA, IMPASS, Mofa, MOI, or the Pakistani diplomatic missions.
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