In another diplomatic success for Pakistan, Sweden resumed its visa services at the Islamabad embassy on Monday, providing major relief to Pakistani applicants.
The Foreign Office (FO) announced the resumption of Swedish visa services in Pakistan after a successful diplomatic engagement with the Scandinavian country.
In 2023, Sweden closed down its embassy in Islamabad, citing security reasons. Thousands of travellers, tourists, and especially international students from Pakistan faced major obstacles.
The Swedish embassy re-opened in Islamabad in April this year and from Monday (July 7) Pakistanis will be able to apply for a Schengen visa.
After the closure of the Swedish embassy, thousands of students who had secured admission to the Scandinavian country had to travel to Ethiopia to apply for their visas.
This proved to be a major obstacle and an extra financial burden on so many students.
According to the FO, the Swedish and Pakistani foreign ministries held bilateral consultations in Stockholm on July 2, where the decision to resume visa services was announced by the Swedish side.
“Effective July 7, 2025, Pakistani nationals can apply for a Schengen visa from within Pakistan for visits to Sweden of up to 90 days,” the FO said.
The resumption of Swedish visa services in Islamabad will provide major relief to all citizens who wish to travel to the Scandinavian country.
Read also: Implementation of Ehsaas Apna Ghar scheme begins in KP, loan disbursement underway
The implementation of the Ehsaas Apna Ghar scheme has commenced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, along with the provision of interest-free loans for housing.
According to Express News, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has initiated the process of offering interest-free loans to low-income individuals for house construction under this scheme. A ceremony was held at the Chief Minister’s House to distribute loan checks, with Ali Amin Gandapur attending as the chief guest. During the event, the Chief Minister distributed interest-free loan checks to successful applicants.
An allocation of four billion rupees has been made for providing these interest-free loans. To ensure transparency, loans are being distributed through a computerised lottery system.
