UAE Consul General confirms visa ban on Pakistanis: Here’s why

KARACHI: Consul General of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Karachi, Dr Bakheet Ateeq Al Remeithi, has explained that many complaints have been received against Pakistani citizens during the last 2 months.

As per the details, during in an interview with a private news channel on Monday, the official detailed the reasons for the denial of visas, refraining from revealing any figures.

The official explained that social media can be used to determine whether the UAE grants visas to Pakistanis or not.

The Consul General highlighted that regardless of which social media platform one uses in Pakistan or UAE, whatever they share or like leaves a good or bad digital impact. and can decide whether the authorities will issue visas or not.

If someone is causing trouble on social media, why do we need to give him a visa? he inquired.

Dr Remeithi said that every country has its own laws and people of different nationalities live in the UAE, condemning riots to break out if a country’s internal affairs deteriorate.

He said that internal affairs should not disturb the routine of the UAE as people have to go to hospitals etc. and perform various daily tasks.

The official said that if someone speaks against his country and incites others while in the UAE, it is wrong and unfair.

Regarding the number of visas issued to Pakistanis, the official highlighted that 70,000 work visas were issued in a year and a half, adding that the number of tourist visas could be in lakhs.

The official said that the documents should be verified by the applicant himself even if he has to take a few days leave and travel to Pakistan to avoid any fake/duplicate verification.

It should be noted that the UAE hosts around 1.7 million Pakistanis, which is the second largest Pakistani expat community in the world.

Data from the State Bank of Pakistan confirms that the volume of remittances from the UAE to Pakistan in FY 2022 was $2555.22 million, indicating that the Pakistani workforce from banks in the country Works in real estate, media, and various other fields. Insurance etc

The visa denial issue was also confirmed by Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain, who recently said that the government is in discussions with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities regarding visa restrictions.