Once again, news reports are circulating that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has stopped issuing visit visas to residents of several Pakistani cities.
According to these reports, the UAE government has halted the issuance of visas to the residents of Kohat, Abbottabad, Muzaffarabad, Skardu, Larkana, DG Khan and other cities.
Surprisingly, local travel agents have affirmed these reports without verification and any official statement.
A travel agent claimed that when residents of a city are found involved in illegal activities or overstay their visas, the UAE government stops issuing visas to that city for several months.
However, a Pakistani official in UAE has dismissed these reports as baseless. Talking to a local media outlet, WE News, the official said that there are no obstacles for Pakistani nationals in acquiring visit visas.
Furthermore, he stated that if someone applies for a visa and his documents are in proper order, he gets his visa within 10 to 15 days.
Talking to ProPakistani, an international travel agent clarified the situation.
“We were experiencing rejections from the immigration department for Pakistani nationals residing in Pakistan. That’s why we have removed it as the country of residence.”
Last year, similar reports were widely covered by local media. However, the Consulate General of the UAE Consulate Karachi, Bakheet Ateeq Al-Remeithi refuted these reports.
Source: Pro Pakistani