ISLAMABAD: Over 50,000 visas were issued to American citizens by the Pakistani embassy in Washington under various categories between 2008 and 2011, according to the foreign ministry.



Of the total 52,094 visas issued, 13,115 visas were categorised as those for diplomats and other senior officials. As many as 2,202 visas to US officials and diplomats were given between 2009 and 2011, after approval from Pakistan’s defence ministry.



The information was provided to members of the Senate on Thursday by the foreign ministry to a question put by Senator SM Zafar, from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid. Zafar has also sought details of American citizens who were given visas on the recommendation of the Pakistani embassy or mission, security agencies or the secretariats of the president and prime minister.



Responding to a question by Jamaat-i-Islami’s Senator Professor Khurshid Ahmed, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said that approximately 180,817 Pakistani immigrants have been deported from different countries in the past three years.