Pakistan relaxes visa policy for foreign journalists stranded in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD

Pakistan on Friday announced special visa relaxations for foreign journalists and media workers stuck in Afghanistan amid the Taliban advancement across the war-torn country.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said in a brief statement that his government has decided to relax visa policies for journalists and media workers stranded in Afghanistan.

"International journalists and media workers who want to leave Afghanistan via Pakistan are urged to apply for a Pakistani visa," Ahmed said.

He added that the Interior Ministry will issue visas to these international journalists and workers on a priority basis.

"The announcement of visa waiver by the Government of Pakistan is being made in view of the safety of journalists and media workers working in Afghanistan," he explained.

The Taliban, who have made rapid gains in recent days, now control 15 of Afghanistan's 34 provincial capitals.

Following days of fierce fighting, the Taliban took control of Afghanistan's second and third largest cities, Kandahar and Herat, on Thursday, and advanced on three more provincial capitals by early Friday.