The Pakistan government has acknowledged the increasing number of visa rejections faced by its citizens, particularly from the business community, seeking entry into the United Arab Emirates.
The issue was discussed during a meeting held by Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi with the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) here on Monday.
Acknowledging that there has been a growing number of visa rejections faced by Pakistani citizens seeking entry from the UAE, Naqvi emphasised the government’s commitment to resolving the issue.
“I will be raising this issue with my UAE counterpart at a meeting on Wednesday, and hopefully the matter will be resolved,” he assured the businessmen present in the meeting, admitting that it was a serious matter.
The minister highlighted the government’s efforts to enhance the global standing of the Pakistani passport, expressing pride in the “green passport” and optimism about its future reputation.
“The government is doing everything to improve the standing ranking of the Pakistani passport globally. We are proud of our green passport, and in the future, it will be a source of even greater pride,” he said.
In recent times, countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, have intensified campaigns to repatriate Pakistanis staying and working illegally.
The immigration authorities have also increased vigilance at exit points to detect fake travel documents and apprehend offenders.
Naqvi also said that concrete steps have been taken to curb the smuggling of US dollars from Pakistan through illegal trade channels.
In February, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, had described the Gulf country’s refusal of visas to Pakistani nationals as a “serious and significant” issue, confirming that both countries are working to address it. He noted that the visa refusals were mainly due to document authenticity and the criminal records of some applicants.
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the US. It is also Pakistan’s second-largest source of foreign remittances, after Saudi Arabia, with approximately 1.9 million Pakistani expatriates living and working there. (PTI)
