Islamabad: India has taken steps to streamline visa procedures for Pakistanis and will possibly increase their issuance from the current level of 8000 a month.

At present around 500 people queue up for five days a week at the visa counters at the back of the highly guarded Indian High Commission here jostling with each other to slip in their applications.

"We want to change all that, at least from our side and want to make it more pleasant and easier for those hundreds of Pakistanis wanting sources.

Efforts were on to clear the pent-up demand which itself is quite high, he said.

However, at the same time Pal sounded cautious about the process, noting the current bilateral visa regime is extremely restrictive.

There is a plan to dispense away with the queue system and follow a token system in which the applicants would be called to submit and collect visas, Pal said.

"All this would take time but as of now the attempt is streamline the procedures, make it easier for the over loaded staff but at the same time step up the numbers," he said Efforts were on to step up group visas to facilitate tourist flows.

On the steps being taken to streamline the visa issuance procedure, Pal said to begin with the number of visa counters have been increased from five to nine with special counters for women and persons above 65 years in recent weeks to ease pressure on sometimes unmanageable queues.