Some women and men who own P1 and P2 visa cases held a widespread demonstration in Liaquat Bagh (Rawalpindi), Punjab province, Pakistan, protesting and demanding the swift processing and transfer of their cases to the respective countries. The primary demand of these protesters is the expedited processing and transfer of their P1 and P2 visa cases to the United States, which have been pending and unresolved in Pakistan for the past two years.
According to them, two years ago, they were formally invited by the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) to a third country where it was explicitly stated that their case processing would take place. With this assumption and significant expenses, they brought themselves to Pakistan, and now, after two years of economic hardship, there is still no authority responding to our predicament.
According to these participants, enduring such an uncertain situation in Pakistan is unbearable and destructive for themselves and their children. They participated in this gathering in front of national and international media, chanting slogans, holding responsible and accountable the relevant authorities for their cases, and demanding the commencement of the evacuation process from Pakistan.
Qudratullah, one of the participants in these protests, told Kausar News Agency, “For the past year, we have only managed to receive an email from the USRAP asking about where and in what circumstances we are living, and there is no other news about the processing of our cases. We are completely disheartened, and we do not believe that they will transfer us.”
In conversations with some of these participants, they reiterated similar statements to Qudratullah. They were tired of living in Pakistan and preferred life in Afghanistan, even risking being killed by the Taliban.
It is worth noting that a significant number of SIV visa case holders, who are a priority in the U.S. transfer program, are waiting in Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
