A high level meeting was jointly chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Salik Hussain in Islamabad. Senior officials, including Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, and heads of NADRA and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), attended the meeting to finalize a clear policy framework.
In an important decision, the government agreed to replace multiple local documents with a single unified national character certificate. This certificate will now be issued only through the National Police Bureau. The step is expected to remove long standing delays caused by district level verifications, which often created serious problems for Pakistanis applying for legal status in Spain.
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Mohsin Naqvi directed all concerned departments to simplify and speed up the verification process. He stressed that overseas Pakistanis should not face unnecessary obstacles and assured full support from the Ministry of Interior.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Spain, Dr. Zahoor Ahmed, gave a detailed briefing on Spain’s current policy framework. Under the new facilitation plan, eligible applicants will first receive a resident card valid for one year. After completing seven to eight years of legal stay, they may qualify for permanent residency and eventually Spanish citizenship under Spanish law.
Officials clarified that the policy is only for those seeking legal work and residence status. It does not apply to individuals applying for political asylum. Applicants must submit the new centralized character certificate along with other required identification documents.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also promised diplomatic support to ensure smooth coordination between Islamabad and Madrid.
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Salik Hussain called the development a positive step. He said giving legal status to thousands of Pakistanis will improve their lives and protect their rights while living abroad.
The meeting was attended virtually by the Consul General in Barcelona and the Community Welfare Attaché, while senior officials from the interior and overseas ministries were present in Islamabad.
This coordinated effort shows that the government is giving priority to solving documentation problems faced by the Pakistani community in Spain.
