UAE ambassador says measures like online applications, new visa center to speed up travel for Pakistani nationals
People walk across a bridge in the Emirate of Dubai. Photo: File
The UAE processes nearly 500 visas a day for Pakistani nationals under new facilitation reforms, although Pakistan’s interior ministry warned the Senate that the Emirates had stopped issuing visas, except for diplomatic and blue passport holders.
The ministry highlighted growing concerns over passport abuse, people-trafficking and the vulnerabilities faced by overseas Pakistanis, while the UAE ambassador presented a more optimistic picture of ongoing travel and visa support.
The briefing, chaired by Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, warned that Pakistan had narrowly avoided a full international ban on its passports – a move officials said would have been “extremely difficult” to reverse.
Officials informed the committee that 21,647 Pakistanis are currently imprisoned in 61 countries, mostly for minor offenses such as visa, identity fraud and banking-related violations. The State Department said Pakistani embassies have data for 90 percent of these prisoners, noting that several countries release minor offenders during Eid.
The ministry also highlighted that 93 percent of Pakistan’s overseas workforce, nearly 800,000 people, is employed in the Gulf states, underscoring the economic effort associated with regional labor mobility.
A significant part of the briefing focused on human trafficking networks operating from several districts in Punjab, which allegedly charge young people between Rs 4.3 million and Rs 5 million to send them abroad through illegal and dangerous routes. Senator Zehri expressed serious concern over the increase in human trafficking cases and criticized the near absence of awareness campaigns at airports and in major cities.
Officials further revealed that more than 500,000 Afghan nationals had been living abroad using Pakistani passports, some of whom were involved in criminal activities while posing as Pakistanis. They said that NADRA has now fully digitized civil records to prevent further misuse.
The committee called for stronger enforcement, improved public awareness and coordinated action to address the layered risks faced by Pakistan’s migrant workers and the integrity of its identity documents.
UAE Ambassador to Pakistan meets Finance Minister
The UAE Ambassador to Pakistan informed Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb that the Emirates is processing nearly 500 visas daily for Pakistani nationals under new relief reforms.
During their meeting in Islamabad, both officials reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening strategic and economic ties. Ambassador Al Zaabi highlighted the historical relationship between the two countries and praised the contributions of Pakistani professionals in the UAE.
Aurangzeb welcomed the update and stressed that smoother mobility is essential for business-to-business exchanges and attracting long-term investments. He highlighted Emirati contributions in trade, infrastructure, ports, digital banking, logistics and government-to-government financing and called for further participation from UAE sovereign wealth funds, private companies and multinational firms.
Ambassador Al Zaabi emphasized the UAE’s continued interest in expanding bilateral trade, attracting Pakistani technology companies and facilitating greater investment in Pakistan. He noted active collaboration across agriculture, infrastructure, mining, ports, financial services and virtual assets.
On visa facilitation, the ambassador said new measures including online applications, e-visa without passport stamping, 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 focus on a growth-oriented agenda centered on private sector-led, investment-driven expansion. He briefed the ambassador on improving macroeconomic indicators, including stable reserves, easing inflation, stronger foreign exchange outlook and increasing remittances, especially from the UAE.
Both sides reiterated their common goal of strengthening strategic, economic and cultural cooperation, reinforcing the UAE’s role as a key partner in Pakistan’s trade and investment growth.
