ATHENS, MAR 03 (DNA) – The state-of-the-art Consular Section at Embassy of Pakistan in Athens has been established and inaugurated.

“This is my second Mission where I have established a modern Consular Section. This time, due to my previous experience, and under guidance of our former Ambassador Khalid Usman Qaisar, we have been able to do so in a single year. The new Consular Section has the following features”, said Yawar Abbas after the inauguration.

The new section includes following features. Addition of a new Consular Hall that creates more sitting area for consular applicants and provides the Consular officers exclusive offices for specialized and swift services; Complete separation of Consular Section from Chancery, enhancing our security/privacy and facilitating efficient work-flow in the Mission (previously visa and some other consular offices were inside the Chancery); creation of a special Immigration/FIA link Office Counter that will ensure swift verification of immigration cases through online Readmission Case Management System (RCMS). This will facilitate our overseas citizens to a great extent;

Likewise, a special visa counter for swift visa service has also been established. Tourist and business visa are granted within 24 hours.

Other features include, launching of Emergency Telephone Line and emergency response service for the Pakistani community by installation of a modern telephone exchange and a rapid deployment team for quick dispatch to address any emergency issue of the Pakistani community in any part of Athens and Greece (two days ago our emergency response team successfully resolved a crisis in a jail where our prisoners and local police were having a clash); setting-up a library for consular applicants who have to wait; we have books in Urdu, English and Greek languages etc.

Similalry, Aam-Admi VIP Service has also been introduced whereby any consular applicant can call Head of Mission.

The embassy will have zero tolerance for agent system by conducting special community out-reach programmes, public service messages, provision of all information online, keeping all applicants within Consular premises, and asking police not to allow any undesired person roaming outside the Embassy to prey upon illiterate applicants.

Special arrangements have also been made to  visit every jail and detention center in Greece to provide basic consular services directly to prisoners and ensuring their welfare by holding meetings with police and distribution of welfare goods among detainees/prisoners; visiting hospitals and holding mobile consular camps so that Consular Section is not stressed with long-distance work, and, services are provided at door-steps of applicants, including sending consular documents through special courier service.=DNA

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