Iranian students not allowed to open bank accounts in Pakistan

By Nasir Aijaz
The AsiaN Representative

Karachi: Iran and Pakistan are bound by one faith and a common culture and there was no obstacle for people from both sides to come closer; however, Iranian students are faced with hardships in getting Pakistani visa.

The Iranian students are not allowed even to open bank accounts in Pakistan.

This transpired during a recent meeting between the Iranian Consul General Mr. Hassan Nourian and Interim Chief Minister of Southern Sindh province Justice ® Maqbool Baqir on October in Karachi, the capital of the province.

Mr. Hassan Nourian, who called on Chief Minister on October 21, 2023 at Chief Minister’s House, apprised him that the Consulate issued 80000 Visas to Pakistanis every year in Karachi alone.

“In Southern India, 4500 Iranian students are studying. But getting student visa in Pakistan is very difficult and only 10 to 15 students are studying here,” Iranian Envoy told and added, “The Iranian students cannot even open banks accounts in Pakistan.”

Chief Minister Maqbool Baqir assured the Iranian Consul General that he will talk to federal government for offering bank account facility to Iranian students, an official handout of Sindh government said.

Mr. Hassan further informed that Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Chambers of Commerce of Tehran and Isfahan have signed Memorandums of Understanding for enhancing trade between two countries.

“Iran will send fruits, vegetables and petroleum products to Pakistan under these arrangements,” he said.

He further stated that the tourism can also be promoted through opening Iran Iraq and Oman route.

Earlier, in August this year, Iranian Minister for Tourism, Archaeology and Handicrafts Syed Ezzatollah Zarghami also had suggested that the number of tourists between Pakistan and Iran should increase as both are neighboring Muslim countries.

“At least one million Pakistani and 200,000 Iranian tourists should visit each other’s countries”, he said while addressing the Pak-Iran Tourism Forum held under the auspices of Punjab Tourism Department in Lahore.

The Iranian Minister disclosed that last year 9.311 million foreign tourists visited Iran. “In the same year, around 200,000 Pakistanis visited Iran while 65,000 Iranians visited Pakistan for tourism purposes,” he said.