India on Tuesday granted a visa to senior Pakistani diplomat Munnawar Saeed Bhatti, who will take over as deputy high commissioner in place of expelled charge d'affaires Jalil Abbas Jilani. 

"The necessary administrative formalities granting an assignment visa to Bhatti have been completed and his passport stamped with the Indian visa has been handed over to him," Charge d'Affaries of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad Vikram Misri said.

Pakistan is in turn expected to grant visa to T C A Raghavan who will take over as deputy high commissioner in Islamabad.

The granting of visas is expected to lower diplomatic tensions between the two countries since last year, which has
so far seen staff strengths at the high commissions being reduced by over 60 per cent.

At present, the strength of the two missions is down to around 46, including the deputy high commissioners.