During a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Bureau of Immigration Director General (DG) Mohammad Tayyab said that obtaining police clearance would be mandatory for those traveling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This important decision has been made to ensure transparency and security in the employment and travel matters of Pakistanis abroad.
The committee meeting, chaired by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada, was held at the Parliament House, where Director General (DG) of the Bureau of Immigration, Mohammad Tayyab, confirmed the mandatory police clearance requirement.
During the meeting, Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Shaadat Awan asked whether the UAE had imposed a ban on visas for Pakistanis. In response, Secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, Arshad, clarified that currently, 1.8 million Pakistanis are residing in the UAE, although the UAE had allocated a quota of 1.6 million. This year alone, 65,000 Pakistanis have gone to the UAE.
He further mentioned that opportunities for non-skilled workers are dwindling, and there is a need to train Pakistani laborers so they can access better opportunities in the global market.
The Secretary of Overseas Pakistanis also mentioned that due to the limited opportunities for laborers, there could be an impact on foreign exchange in the next two years. However, over 700,000 Pakistanis are expected to go abroad for employment this year.
The Secretary also dismissed rumors circulating on social media regarding a ban on Pakistani visas in the UAE, stating that violations of laws by a large number of Pakistanis had led to stricter regulations. Recently, the Pakistani government had canceled the passports of 4,700 Pakistanis imprisoned in the UAE.
The Chairman of the Committee stated that there is no official ban imposed by the UAE on the issuance of visas to Pakistanis, although obtaining a visit visa may be more difficult. Senator Nasser Butt expressed concern over this issue, calling it unfortunate that Pakistanis are facing difficulties in acquiring visit visas.
