Pakistan finally breaks silence on UAE visa ban speculation

Pakistan has rejected speculation about a UAE visa ban for Pakistani citizens. The Foreign Office said the UAE issues far more visas than the number of Pakistanis repatriated each year.

UAE continues issuing visas to Pakistanis

Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said the UAE provides jobs and visas to Pakistani nationals on a much larger scale than the number of people sent back. He gave the figures during a weekly briefing.

According to Khan, around 7,000 to 8,000 Pakistanis are repatriated from the UAE each year. At the same time, around 40,000 to 50,000 Pakistanis receive visas and employment opportunities.

Why some Pakistanis are repatriated

Khan said Pakistanis are repatriated from the UAE for different reasons. These include overstaying visas and involvement in minor offences.

He added that some Pakistanis also lose their legal status after staying in the UAE beyond the period allowed under their visas. The government’s comments came amid speculation about possible restrictions on Pakistani visitors.

No confirmed Qatar visa ban

The Foreign Office spokesperson also addressed reports about a possible visa ban by Qatar. Khan said he was not aware of any visa ban on Pakistanis by the Qatari embassy.

He said visa processing could be taking longer because of the regional situation. However, he stressed that Pakistan has strong relations with Qatar.

Thousands of Pakistanis work in Qatar

Khan said a large number of Pakistanis are working in Qatar in civilian and security-related fields. He added that he had not seen any confirmed reports of visa restrictions against Pakistanis there.

The Foreign Office’s statement aims to clear confusion over visa restrictions in the Gulf. Pakistan continues to maintain strong ties with both the UAE and Qatar.

The figures shared by the Foreign Office suggest that the UAE continues to issue a large number of visas to Pakistanis. Repatriations, meanwhile, involve people facing different legal or immigration issues.

There is also no confirmed information in the statement about a Qatar visa ban. Any delays in visa processing may be linked to the wider regional situation rather than a formal ban.

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