Pakistanis’ UAE Visas Cancelled, Jobs and Investments at Risk, Barrister Gohar Raises Issue in NA
Expired Visas Not Being Renewed, Even Some Valid Visas Cancelled; PTI Chairman Urges Government to Take Immediate Notice
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has raised the issue of visa problems faced by Pakistanis living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the National Assembly, urging the government to take immediate notice of the matter.
Speaking during a session of the National Assembly, Barrister Gohar said a large number of overseas Pakistanis were employed and engaged in businesses in the UAE, while a significant share of Pakistan’s foreign exchange inflows came from the country.
He said Pakistani citizens were currently facing serious difficulties regarding their UAE visas. According to him, visas that have expired were not being renewed, while some valid and active visas were also reportedly being cancelled.
Barrister Gohar told the House that the issue was affecting Pakistanis whether they were in Pakistan on vacation or residing in the UAE.
He said the situation had severely affected Pakistani businessmen in the UAE, with millions of dollars in their investments reportedly stuck there.
The PTI chairman stressed the seriousness of the issue, saying he had received confirmed information regarding the matter. He added that an active PTI worker, Abdul Aziz Pir Baba, who is also a resident of the UAE, had been directly affected by the situation.
Barrister Gohar warned that if the visa and business-related problems faced by Pakistani citizens were not resolved immediately, the resulting loss to Pakistan’s foreign exchange inflows could be significant.
He said any loss of foreign exchange resulting from the disruption of Pakistani businesses and employment in the UAE would be difficult to compensate for through exports alone.
