ISLAMABAD:
The foreign ministry informed the National Assembly on Wednesday that some Pakistani citizens resorted to fabricating degrees, diplomas and employment contracts to secure United Arab Emirates (UAE) visas.
In a written response regarding reported visa restrictions on Pakistani nationals, the ministry revealed that certain individuals had overstayed their visas, while others had found themselves in hot water due to political or criminal activities.
Moreover, some were even flagged for misusing social media platforms, further complicating matters.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, in his official statement, stressed that UAE authorities have confirmed there is no formal visa ban on Pakistani citizens. However, he said that multiple concerns had led to tighter scrutiny in the visa process.
Furthermore, he informed the National Assembly that the UAE has introduced a five-year visa policy, requiring applicants to provide a round-trip ticket, hotel booking, proof of property ownership and an advance payment of 3,000 dirhams.
Dar further apprised the House that the Pakistani embassy in Abu Dhabi has been actively engaging with UAE officials at both ministerial and under-secretary levels. Meanwhile, Foreign Office officials in Islamabad have also taken up the matter with the UAE embassy.
He assured that the Pakistani government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were in constant communication with their UAE counterparts, working diligently to iron out these issues.
Regarding the hunting of houbara bustards, Dar, during the session, said that the hunting remained an important aspect of Pakistan’s foreign policy. He revealed that provincial governments had issued 333 hunting permits to foreign nationals over the past decade.
Dar clarified that while the foreign ministry recommended these permits, it was ultimately the provincial authorities that issued them, as wildlife management is now a provincial subject following the 18th Amendment.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmakers lashed out at the government during the session over the absence of Federal Minister for Energy Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry attempted to pacify the situation, assuring the House that the minister would arrive shortly. However, it failed to satisfy the opposition.
PPP leader Syed Naveed Qamar questioned the rationale behind maintaining such a large cabinet if ministers were still failing to attend key parliamentary sessions.
“Even with such a large cabinet, ministers are still absent,” Abdul Qadir Patel said.
Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) lawmaker Noor Alam Khan suggested that if PPP’s concerns – particularly regarding water – were being ignored, they should consider joining the opposition.
“Come to the opposition, we’ll shake things up together,” he added.
As tensions mounted, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry admitted that the energy minister had not informed him about responding on his behalf.
At this, Patel further criticised the government, saying, “This means that despite having such a large cabinet, ministers don’t even communicate with each other”.
