UAE Ambassador announced measures such as online applications and new visa center to speed up travel for Pakistani nationals
People cross a bridge in the emirate of Dubai. Photo: File
The UAE is processing nearly 500 visas for Pakistani nationals daily under new facilitation reforms, even as Pakistan’s interior ministry warned the Senate that the Emirates has stopped issuing visas, except to holders of diplomatic and blue passports.
The ministry highlighted growing concerns over passport misuse, human trafficking and vulnerabilities faced by Pakistanis abroad, while the UAE ambassador presented a more optimistic picture of ongoing travel and visa assistance.
The briefing, chaired by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, warned that Pakistan had narrowly avoided a total international ban on its passports – a move that officials said would have been “extremely difficult” to reverse.
Officials informed the committee that 21,647 Pakistanis are currently imprisoned in 61 countries, most for minor offenses such as overstaying, identity fraud and banking-related violations. The Foreign Ministry said Pakistani embassies held data on 90 percent of these detainees, and noted that several countries released juvenile offenders during Eid.
The ministry also highlighted that 93 percent of Pakistan’s overseas workforce, or nearly 800,000 people, is employed in the Gulf states, highlighting the economic challenges associated with regional labor mobility.
A significant part of the briefing focused on human trafficking networks operating in several districts of Punjab, which allegedly charge between Rs 4.3 million and Rs 5 million from young people to send them abroad through illegal and dangerous routes. Senator Zehri said he was very concerned about the increase in trafficking cases and criticized the virtual absence of awareness campaigns at airports and in major cities.
Authorities further revealed that more than 500,000 Afghan nationals had lived abroad using Pakistani passports, with some involved in criminal activities by posing as Pakistanis. They said NADRA has now fully digitized citizens’ records to prevent further misuse.
The committee called for stricter enforcement, better public awareness and coordinated measures to address the multiple risks faced by Pakistani migrant workers and the integrity of their identity documents.
UAE Ambassador to Pakistan meets Finance Minister
The UAE Ambassador to Pakistan informed Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb that the UAE was processing nearly 500 visas for Pakistani nationals daily under new facilitation reforms.
During their meeting in Islamabad, the two officials reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening strategic and economic ties. Ambassador Al Zaabi highlighted the historic relationship between the two countries and praised the contributions of Pakistani professionals in the UAE.
Aurangzeb welcomed the update, stressing that smoother mobility is essential for business-to-business trade and attracting long-term investments. He highlighted the UAE’s contributions in the areas of trade, infrastructure, ports, digital banking, logistics and government-to-government financing, and encouraged increased participation from UAE sovereign wealth funds, private companies and multinational corporations.
Ambassador Al Zaabi highlighted the UAE’s continued interest in expanding bilateral trade, attracting Pakistani technology companies and facilitating increased investments in Pakistan. He highlighted active collaboration in the areas of agriculture, infrastructure, mining, ports, financial services and virtual assets.
On visa facilitation, the ambassador said new measures, including online applications, e-visas without passport stamps, system-to-system integrations with Pakistan and a new visa center in Pakistan, would speed up processing and facilitate travel for Pakistani nationals.
Aurangzeb added that the frequency of high-level exchanges reflects the closeness of ties and Pakistan’s emphasis on a growth-oriented agenda centered on private sector-led and investment-driven expansion. He briefed the ambassador on improving macroeconomic indicators, including stable reserves, decreasing inflation, stronger foreign exchange outlook and increasing remittances, particularly from the UAE.
Both sides reiterated their common goal of strengthening strategic, economic and cultural cooperation, thereby strengthening the UAE’s role as a key partner in Pakistan’s trade and investment growth.
