Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistani Interior Minister Salman Chaudhry revealed on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates has stopped issuing visas to Pakistanis, with the exception of certain types of passports.
The minister’s remarks came during a meeting of the Senate Human Rights Committee. He noted that the UAE and Saudi Arabia had explicitly “ceased imposing a ban on Pakistani passports.” However, he warned that “if a ban is imposed, it will be difficult to lift.”
Visa restrictions details
Chaudhry confirmed that the United Arab Emirates currently only issues visas to holders of blue passports, diplomatic passports.
The UAE is a close strategic partner of Pakistan, with strong diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties. The UAE is one of Pakistan’s largest trading partners in the Middle East and a major source of remittances due to the large Pakistani expatriate community residing and working there.
Human Rights Committee Confirmation
For her part, Senator Samina Mumtaz Zohri, chair of the Senate Human Rights Committee, confirmed the Interior Minister’s statements to the newspaper “Dawn”.
Zuhri said the committee was officially informed that the UAE does not issue visas to Pakistanis. She noted that only a very small number of visas had been issued recently “after considerable difficulties.”
