Mirwaiz free to go to China but stapled visa won’t do: Govt

Krishna said the Ministry of External Affairs encourages such visits whether these were to “Pakistan or China”.

To a similar question at a press conference later,Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said,”We have stated on many previous occasions that we have not prevented Kashmiri leaders from travelling abroad.”

She,however,said if the question was in the “context of approach taken by the Chinese government of issuing visas to Indian citizens resident of Jammu and Kashmir (on separate sheets of paper instead of passport)”,the Indian government does not “subscribe to this approach which discriminates on the basis of domicile.”

She did not elaborate but sources made it clear that the Mirwaiz should carry a proper visa on passport and if the Chinese Embassy gives him visa on stapled paper,he will not be allowed to travel.

China has started the practice of giving stapled visas apparently to make a point that it does not consider Jammu and Kashmir a part of India,which annoys New Delhi.