Islamabad, Dec 12: During high-level diplomatic talks, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have discussed the urgent issue of issuing visas to Pakistani nationals. On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar met with UAE Ambassador Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Al Zaabi at the Foreign Office. The meeting’s main goal, according to a statement from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), was to strengthen bilateral collaboration.
Additionally, read Punjab’s decision to pay certain government employees in advance.
Concerns about visas were discussed, and Ambassador Al Zaabi gave updates on initiatives to expedite the visa application process for Pakistani nationals. In order to resolve delays and speed up approvals, he stated that measures are being taken to increase human resources and enhance processing times.
Due to rumors of delays and rejections for Pakistani applicants, the topic of UAE visas has gained a lot of attention lately. However, allegations of a formal ban or new limitations have always been denied by Pakistani officials. MOFA has reaffirmed that the issuing nation has the sovereign power to grant visas.
The statement did not specify whether or not the meeting included concerns about the alleged presence of thousands of Pakistanis in UAE prisons. In earlier briefings, MOFA refused to confirm numbers about Pakistanis held in the United Arab Emirates.
