UAE Visa Ban for Pakistanis Confirmed by Government Officials

Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry confirmed on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has temporarily stopped issuing visas to Pakistani passport holders. He shared this update during a meeting of the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, where the issue of travel restrictions was discussed in detail.

Chaudhry explained that although the UAE and Saudi Arabia have not officially banned Pakistani passports, their current actions show that they are being extremely cautious. He warned that if either country decides to impose a full and formal ban, it would be very hard for Pakistan to reverse such a decision in the future. For now, the UAE is only issuing visas to diplomatic-passport holders and blue-passport holders, meaning ordinary Pakistani citizens are facing serious difficulties in getting approval.

Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, who heads the Senate committee, also confirmed the situation. She told Dawn that the restrictions were linked to concerns raised by UAE authorities about some Pakistanis involved in criminal activities after entering the country. Because of these concerns, she said only a very limited number of visas have been approved recently, and even those were issued after strict checks and a lot of difficulty.

This development is worrying because the UAE is one of Pakistan’s strongest economic partners and a major source of foreign remittances. Millions of Pakistanis live and work in the UAE, sending money back home to support their families. Any long-term visa restrictions could affect these workers, reduce remittances, and create economic challenges for Pakistan.

The government is expected to hold further discussions with UAE officials to resolve the issue and ensure that Pakistani workers and travelers do not face long-term problems.

Via Dawn

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