Pakistan urges UAE to resolve visa issue ‘at earliest’

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi met UAE minister of state on the sidelines of OIC foreign ministers’ meeting on Saturday and raised the issue of visa restrictions being faced by Pakistani citizens.

Qureshi underscored the need to address the issue at the earliest during a meeting with Reem Al Hashimi on the sidelines of the 47th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Niamey, Niger, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

The development comes after it emerged earlier this week that the United Arab Emirates had stopped issuing new visas to citizens of 13 mostly Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Syria over ‘security concerns’.

Following the media reports, PM’s aide Zulfikar Bukhari claimed that a UAE cabinet minister had set aside media reports, saying that “there is no ban on import of workforce from Pakistan”.

“Thankful to HE Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli (Minister of Human Resources & Emiratisation) for his continued support for #OverseasPakistanis - Contrary to media reports, he categorically stated there is NO BAN on export of workforce - There has been 11% [increase] in knowledge workers,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle.

Later, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said in a tweet that Bukhari spoke to the UAE official via video link to “dispel the negative reports on ban on Pakistani workers”.

The foreign office in today’s statement said, the two sides also exchanged views on bilateral cooperation, Covid-19 situation, Pakistan’s participation in the Expo, and other matters of mutual interest.

Qureshi highlighted the close fraternal ties as well as people-to-people contacts between the two countries and stressed Pakistan’s commitment to forge closer cooperation with UAE in diverse fields, it added.

While appreciating Foreign Minister Qureshi’s statement at the 47th CFM Session, the statement said the Emirati minister lauded Pakistan’s initiative to propose OIC resolution on combatting Islamophobia.

The two sides also exchanged views on OIC matters and stressed upon the importance of further strengthening it as a united and pivotal platform for the Muslim Ummah.

It was also agreed during the meeting to enhance mutual exchanges to carry forward the process of growing bilateral cooperation, said the communiqué.