A senior official from Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has revealed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has stopped issuing visas to Pakistani citizens, with the Gulf nation reportedly coming close to imposing a complete ban on Pakistani passports.
The disclosure was made by Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry during a briefing to the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, as reported by Dawn.
According to the official, the UAE is currently issuing visas only to blue passport holders (official passports) and diplomatic passport holders, leaving millions of ordinary Pakistani passport holders temporarily ineligible.
He further warned that
“If a ban is imposed, getting it removed would be difficult.”
Why the UAE Stopped Issuing Visas to Pakistanis
Committee chairperson Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri confirmed that the restrictions stem from concerns about Pakistani nationals traveling to the UAE and allegedly getting involved in criminal activities.
The committee was told that:
- The UAE has issued very few visas to Pakistanis in recent weeks.
- The applications that were approved required significant difficulty and additional scrutiny.
- Saudi Arabia also “stopped short of” a similar passport ban.
UAE Denies Ban, Announces Reforms
In contrast, UAE Ambassador to Pakistan Salem M. Salem Al Zaabi met Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb the same day and announced major “visa facilitation reforms” for Pakistanis, including:
- Online visa processing
- E-visas without passport stamping
- Faster digital system connections between both countries
- Expansion of the UAE Visa Centre in Pakistan, which now processes nearly 500 visas per day
These reforms were shared on the Finance Ministry’s official X account.
Long-Running Visa Issues
Visa tensions between the UAE and Pakistan have surfaced repeatedly over the past year:
- In July, many Pakistanis faced unexplained visa rejections, prompting intervention by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
- In April, the UAE ambassador claimed all visa issues were “resolved” and that Pakistanis could apply for a five-year visa.
- In January, Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis was informed that certain UAE visas had been “unofficially closed.”
The UAE reportedly had concerns that some Pakistanis arriving on visit visas were engaging in begging or illegal work, leading to stricter checks.
Strong Bilateral Ties Continue
Despite these challenges, Pakistan and the UAE maintain strong political, economic, and cultural relations. The UAE remains:
- A major trading partner
- A key remittance source
- Home to over 1.6 million Pakistani expatriates
The two governments are expected to continue discussions to ease visa restrictions for Pakistani citizens.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
