Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry told a Senate panel that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had not been issuing visas to Pakistanis.
Speaking at the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, the official warned that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE had nearly reached the point of imposing a complete ban on Pakistani passports, which could prove difficult to reverse.
Salman Chaudhry informed the committee that the UAE was currently issuing visas only to blue passport and diplomatic passport holders. He underlined the seriousness of the matter, considering the large number of Pakistanis living abroad.
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Pakistan and the UAE have long-standing diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties, with the UAE serving as a major trading partner. Millions of Pakistani workers in the Gulf contribute significantly through remittances every year.
Committee Chairperson Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri confirmed these statements and said the restrictions were linked to concerns about individuals travelling on visit visas and later getting involved in unlawful activities inside the UAE.
She added that the committee had been informed that only a small number of visas had been issued recently, and even those were granted after considerable difficulty, reflecting the seriousness of the situation.
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In contrast to the concerns, UAE Ambassador to Pakistan Salem M. Salem Al Bawab Al Zaabi shared new facilitation measures with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb during a meeting held in Islamabad earlier today.
According to the finance ministry, the reforms included online visa processing, e-visas without passport stamping, and improved system-to-system linkages aimed at expediting documentation and reducing processing delays for applicants.
The finance ministry further reported that nearly 500 visas were being processed daily at the newly launched UAE Visa Centre.
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Ambassador Al Zaabi expressed appreciation for the longstanding contributions of Pakistanis working in the UAE and emphasised enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, defence, technology, and cultural exchanges.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their strategic partnership and agreed to explore new avenues for collaboration, ensuring long-term stability in economic and diplomatic ties across multiple sectors.
