India on Monday announced it will issue visas for Pakistani citizens aged above 65 years and below 12 years from April 1 at the Attari border point in Punjab.

Eligible Pakistanis will have to cross the Wagah border by foot and then obtain the visas at Attari, the entry point to India, Indian high commission in Islamabad said.

Under the scheme, visa could be granted for a period of 30 days, it said. The applicants should carry a valid passport and submit five copies of completed visitors' visa applications along with five photographs on arrival at Attari.

Pakistani Rs 15 will be charged per application and the facility will be available on Mondays and Thursdays from 1000 IST to 1530 IST every week, commission officials said.

This is the first time that India is offering such a visa scheme to nationals of another country. India had made the offer during the foreign secretary-level talks in Islamabad last December.

The India-Pakistan Peoples Forum and heads of Pakistani schools have appealed to the Indian government to extend the facility to children up to the age of 15, which will facilitate most schools to organise visits to India.

Several Pakistani schools had to cancel visits to India during the winter holidays this year due to visa problems.

Also read:

The bus to nowhere

Pak releases 533 Indian prisoners