Islamabad: With Pakistan Government yet to accede to India's request to conduct visa camps, specially in Karachi to meet the increasing demand for business visas, the Indian High Commission has hit on novel "drop box" method to receive and deliver them from all major Pakistani cities.

It has announced that a drop box service will be available to applicants from April 7 for the business visa seekers in all major cities of Pakistan.

Under the new system Pakistani businessmen wishing to visit India can deposit their passports with complete applications with Gerrys/FedEx courier service for their onward submission to the High Commission.

Passports will be returned to applicants by Gerrys/FedEx within 21 days as promised recently by the Indian High Commissioner, Shivshankar Menon. All Inquiries about these applications should be directed to Gerrys/FedEx, a release by the High Commission said.

Gerrys/FedEx will charge Rs 500 per applicant but it will be Rs 300 for Islamabad-based applicants. The normal visa fee of Rs 15 per applicant will also be collected.

The drop box service will be operated by Gerrys/FedEx offices at Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Hyderabad and Quetta.

Complete visa application forms to be deposited with Gerrys/FedEx should accompany letters of invitation, details of business dealings in India and of the applicant's company in Pakistan, the release issued by the High Commission said.

Business visa seekers can also apply directly at the High Commission where a separate counter will continue to function from 10 am to 11 am on weekdays for the purpose, it said.

The new system was announced by the Indian High Commission after its attempts to conduct visa camps did not get fructified. Its request to open a visa camp in Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city is still pending with the Pakistan Foreign Office.