The embassy of Italy in Pakistan on Thursday raised alarm over the rise in forged or dubious documents attached to study visa applications.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Italy Ali Javed and Italian Foreign Affairs Secretary General Ambassador Riccardo Guariglia signed the accord during a ceremony held at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, according to an official handout, Dawn reported. It advised students to avoid presenting forged documents, warning that it would not only lead to immediate rejection of current visa applications, but may also negatively impact future applications. “They reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening cooperation across all areas of mutual interest and agreed to remain in contact.
Pakistan and Italy already have a broad framework of bilateral cooperation, with 15 government-to-government agreements covering sectors including tourism, culture, science and technology, sports, higher defence studies and counter-narcotics efforts. In addition, 21 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) have been signed between universities and think tanks of the two countries, the statement said, according to Dawn .
In a post on X, the embassy said, “The Embassy of Italy in Islamabad has noticed an unprecedented surge in dubious/forged documents attached to the study visa applications. In a post on X, Pakistan’s foreign ministry appreciated what it called the “positive” trajectory of Islamabad-Italy relations and said that both sides welcomed the signing of agreement. “Appreciating the positive trajectory of Pakistan–Italy relations, both sides welcomed the recent signing of the agreement on the abolition of visas for diplomatic passport holders between Pakistan and Italy,” the post read.
More recently, Pakistan and Italy signed an agreement to abolish visa requirements for holders of diplomatic passports. “Study visa aspirants are advised to strictly avoid presenting forged documents, particularly related to the means of subsistence as it will not only lead to the immediate rejection of their current visa application but may also negatively impact any future applications. The agreement is expected to streamline exchanges of diplomatic delegations and further deepen bilateral engagement between Pakistan and Italy.
Officials described the accord as a testament to the mutual trust and longstanding friendship between the two countries, calling it an “excellent addition” to the existing framework of bilateral cooperation, according to Dawn .
