OPF chairman clarifies Gerry’s visa confusion, supports dual consular system in UK
LONDON: Chairman of the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) Syed Qamar Raza has written to Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar clarifying that some misinformation was spread after the Pakistan High Commission signed a contract with Gerry’s for consular and visa services in the United Kingdom.
In his letter, Raza informed the DPM Dar that during his ongoing visit to the UK, he held consultations with prominent community leaders, who expressed overall satisfaction with the planned system of consular services, which will be provided through Gerry’s Visa, alongside the Pakistan High Commission in London and the Nadra Pak ID platform.
The OPF chief noted that earlier concerns had been raised within the community over the possible discontinuation of direct consular services by the High Commission, which had led to fears that overseas Pakistanis would be forced to rely solely on Gerry’s.
However, Raza clarified that the Pakistan High Commission will continue to offer consular services in parallel with Gerry’s and Pak ID. He said this clarification has been widely welcomed by the community.
The OPF chairman recommended that the High Commission should actively promote this position to ensure clarity and prevent misinformation among overseas Pakistanis.
Raza added that he was sharing the “true sentiments of the community” with the government and had also forwarded input from local representatives, including Cllr Tariq Dar, for consideration.
Earlier this week, the Pakistan High Commission in London said it awarded a contract to Gerry’s Visa Services Ltd to provide additional consular facilitation services across the United Kingdom, marking a significant step towards greater convenience for the British Pakistani diaspora.
The decision, approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, followed a fully transparent competitive bidding process conducted in strict accordance with Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) regulations, the High Commission said in a statement.
Only locally registered UK companies were eligible to participate, and the entire selection process, which included rigorous due diligence and compliance with all regulatory requirements, took four months to complete, it said.
The new arrangement is expected to particularly benefit Pakistani nationals living in far-flung areas of the UK who previously faced difficulties and high costs in travelling to the High Commission in London or its consulates.
The statement said: “By offering these additional facilities, the initiative will save applicants both time and transportation expenses. Gerry’s International will also extend the services to weekends, providing further flexibility for the community. Regular consular services will continue uninterrupted at the Pakistan High Commission in London and the consulates in Birmingham, Manchester, Bradford, and Glasgow.”
It has been clarified that the role of the new facilitation centres is strictly limited. They will only handle the processing and data entry of passport applications, visa applications, NICOP applications, and the collection of documents for attestation. Powers of Attorney, land-related matters, and all other services will remain the exclusive responsibility of the High Commission and its four consulates.
All decision-making on applications will continue to rest solely with the Government of Pakistan, including the relevant authorities such as Nadra, IMPASS, Mofa, MOI, or the Pakistani Missions.
