The United Arab Emirates has officially denied reports of a visa ban for Pakistani citizens. UAE Consul General in Karachi, Bakheet Ateeq Alremeithi, stated that all visa categories remain in processing and described the claims as baseless.
In an exclusive interview, Consul General Alremeithi confirmed the consulate in Karachi is experiencing its highest demand for visas in three years. He reported an unprecedented rush for all visa types, with some categories now requiring advance booking more than one month ahead.
“Every type of visa is being processed, and reports of a ban are completely false,” the Consul General told Geo News.
The UAE’s clarification comes directly after statements from Pakistan’s Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry. During a Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights briefing, Chaudhry had claimed the UAE was not issuing visas to Pakistani nationals.
Read: UAE Halts Visas for Pakistani Passport Holders, Narrowly Averting Full Ban
The Pakistani official had told senators that “the Pakistani passport narrowly escaped a ban from the UAE and Saudi Arabia,” warning that such a ban would be difficult to reverse once implemented.
During the Senate briefing, officials revealed they had digitally obtained records of 180-200 million citizens to prevent passport issuance irregularities. This effort addresses concerns about document fraud that potentially threatened visa relations.
The committee also discussed organized human trafficking networks operating from several Pakistani cities with collaborators active in Dubai and the Middle East. Officials noted traffickers lure victims with promises of illegal migration, charging up to Rs5 million per person. The conflicting statements from UAE and Pakistani officials create uncertainty about current visa processing status for Pakistani citizens seeking to visit the Emirates.
