Unverified reports surfaced over the weekend claiming that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been rejecting visas for Pakistani residents with specific backgrounds.
The buzz caused a frenzy among a large community as the Pakistani diaspora in the UAE is one of the largest and most significant expatriate communities. Pakistani community has a long history of migration to the UAE, with many people from Asian nation moving there for employment opportunities and a better quality of life.
The rumors shared by people pretending to be travel consultants suggest that the Abu Dhabi government had halted issuing visit visas to residents of cities such as Kohat, Abbottabad, Muzaffarabad, Skardu, Larkana, and DG Khan.
As many Pakistanis faced visa rejection in recent days, travel consultants claimed that visa issuances are apparently suspended for cities as residents of these areas were involved in illegal activities or have violated Emirati rules.
Amid the frenzy, Pakistani officials in United Arab Emirates turned down the reports, calling them baseless. The official said there is no such ban for Pakistani nationals seeking visit visas for the Gulf nation.
He clarified that if applicants get all the required documents, they can expect to receive their visas within a given timeframe, which is within two weeks.
This is however not the first time such reports surfaced, as similar claims circulated last year as well. It even prompted a response from the Consulate General of the UAE Consulate Karachi, Bakheet Ateeq Al-Remeithi, who also dismissed these reports.
