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Pak wriggles out of visa fee embarrassment with apology

     Islamabad: Following press reports that the immigration staff posted at the Islamabad International Airport had accepted visa fees from foreign rescue teams which rushed to Pakistan to carry out relief work in the quake-hit areas, the Pakistan Interior Ministry made sure that the visa fee was returned to the respective teams and a formal apology was tendered to them. Quoting diplomatic sources, The News reported that the staff of Passport Department Islamabad sought a formal apology from foreign diplomats for the "misunderstanding" and explained that they had taken visa fee having no idea that the Ministry of Interior had already exempted them from such charges. Following the earthquake, the Interior Ministry had decided to wave off the visa fee from the foreign rescue workers, but the decision could not be conveyed to the immigration staff before the foreign rescue teams arrived at the airport. Earlier, on Monday, the Interior Ministry had instituted an inquiry to look into the matter after it was highlighted in the national dailies.