KARACHI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has dismissed reports suggesting a visa ban for Pakistani citizens, emphasizing a surge in applications at the Karachi consulate.
UAE Consul General Bakheet Ateeq Alremeithi stated in an exclusive interview with News, “All types of visas are being processed, and claims of a ban are entirely false.” He added that the consulate is experiencing an unprecedented rush, with some visa categories now requiring bookings over a month in advance — the highest demand in three years.
This clarification comes after Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry informed the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights that the UAE was reportedly restricting visas for Pakistanis, with the Pakistani passport allegedly “narrowly escaping” a ban along with Saudi Arabia. Chaudhry claimed that visas were limited to blue and diplomatic passports.
He also highlighted the Interior Ministry’s efforts to digitally verify records of 180 to 200 million citizens to prevent passport misuse. On legal aid for Pakistanis jailed abroad, he said countries have their own legal systems, making it impossible to provide lawyers everywhere. Most cases involve minor offenses.
Chaudhry further revealed the existence of organized human trafficking networks operating in cities like Gujarat, Wazirabad, Sheikhupura, and Lahore, with traffickers in Dubai and the Middle East reportedly earning up to Rs5 million per victim.
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