UAE to grant 100,000 Pakistanis five-year visas this year – Sindh governor's office
The governor's office and UAE authorities in Pakistan said this week all visa-related issues between the two countries had been resolved, and Pakistani nationals could now apply for five-year visas to the Emirates.
The development came amid widespread reports in recent months of a decline in visa approvals for Pakistanis, allegedly due to violations of local laws and customs, as well as political sloganeering while abroad.
Tessori visited the UAE consulate in Karachi on the invitation of UAE Ambassador Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi following a meeting between the two officials in Karachi on Monday.
'The governor of Sindh, Kamran Khan Tessori, was warmly welcomed by the UAE ambassador and consul general during his visit to the UAE consulate,' the Governor House said in a statement.
'The governor toured the visa center at the consulate, where the ambassador briefed him on the facility,' it added. 'Ambassador Hamad Obaid Al-Zaabi said 100,000 Pakistanis would be granted five-year visas. The consul general added that applicants would be treated with great respect at the visa center and receive full cooperation.'
Earlier this week on Tuesday, the UAE consulate in Karachi issued a statement on the meeting between Tessori and Al-Zaabi.
'We love Pakistanis very much,' the statement quoted Consul General Bakheet Ateeq Al-Rumaithi as saying. 'Every person can apply for a UAE visa … Pakistani citizens can also apply for a UAE visa for work, medical treatment and other needs.'
The UAE is home to more than a million Pakistani expatriates, making it the second-largest overseas Pakistani community globally and a major contributor to remittance inflows to Pakistan.
Policymakers in Pakistan also view the UAE as an ideal export market due to its proximity, which reduces transportation and freight costs and facilitates smoother trade.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
30-07-2025
- Arab News
Pakistan calls UN peacekeeping most cost-effective tool for global peace
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday described United Nations peacekeeping as the most cost-effective tool for maintaining international peace and security, calling on the Security Council to ensure missions are politically anchored, properly funded and planned with clear mandates to avoid failure. Speaking at a high-level briefing on the future of UN peace operations, Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN Asim Iftikhar Ahmad noted no new peacekeeping mission had been launched in the past decade, even as global crises multiply. He warned that downgrading or prematurely ending missions without political resolution risks creating dangerous vacuums and undermining hard-won gains. 'Peace operations remain one of the most cost-effective tools available to the international community for maintenance of international peace and security,' Ahmad said. 'With a budget of $5.5 billion, UN peacekeeping worldwide constitutes less than 0.3 percent of global military spending.' The ambassador added that peacekeeping missions must not be viewed as substitutes for political processes, but rather as mechanisms to enable them. He also stressed the need for credible, context-specific mandates and responsible, conditions-based transitions instead of calendar-driven exits. Pakistan, one of the world's top troop-contributing countries, has deployed over 235,000 peacekeepers to 48 missions across four continents over the past eight decades. It currently hosts one of the UN's oldest missions — the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) — and is a founding member of the Peacebuilding Commission. Ahmed said a total of 182 Pakistani peacekeepers have lost their lives in service under the UN flag. 'Peacekeeping is not a silver bullet, but neither is it obsolete,' he said. 'It remains the most legitimate, collaborative and cost-effective tool the international community possesses to stabilize conflicts and support political solutions.'
Arab News
29-07-2025
- Arab News
China expresses interest in investing in seed development, precision farming in Pakistan, ministry says
KARACHI: A high-powered Chinese delegation has expressed 'keen interest' in making investments in seed development, precision farming, smart irrigation systems and agro-processing in Pakistan, the Pakistani national food security ministry said on Tuesday. The Chinese delegation, comprising senior officials, agricultural scientists, and private sector representatives, met with National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain to explore enhanced cooperation in the field of agriculture. The two sides discussed joint strategies to modernize Pakistan's agricultural sector and to initiate collaborative efforts in research, innovation and investment, with the delegation highlighting China's agricultural advancements and willingness to transfer expertise. 'Through collaboration with China, Pakistan can introduce scientific research, climate-resilient practices, and modern technology that will uplift the productivity of local farmers and ensure long-term food security,' Hussain told the Chinese delegates, stressing the urgent need to formalize agreements between Pakistani and Chinese agricultural institutions. The agriculture sector contributes nearly a quarter of Pakistan's gross domestic product (GDP) and employs 37 percent of the national labor force, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization. However, a fast-growing population, climate change and poor resource management have greatly impacted Pakistan's crops in recent years, prompting officials to ponder alternative ways to enhance production. Pakistan also decided in June last year to send nearly 1,000 graduates to China to train in methods and techniques to enhance Pakistani agricultural production. Of them, around 300 Pakistani graduates this month completed training in water-saving irrigation, seed production, animal husbandry, agriculture production and prevention of post-harvest losses in China's Shaanxi province. During Tuesday's meeting with Chinese delegates, Hussain proposed signing multiple memorandums of understanding (MoUs) focusing on joint research in areas such as biotechnology, crop improvement, pest control and sustainable agricultural practices, according to the national food security ministry. He also underscored the importance of establishing long-term frameworks for the exchange of scientists, technical training, and capacity-building initiatives to strengthen Pakistan's agricultural institutions. 'Hussain noted that this partnership must go beyond investment and move toward structured collaboration in research and development,' the ministry said. 'The Chinese delegation appreciated the Minister's strategic vision and assured full support from their government and private sector to contribute to Pakistan's agricultural transformation… The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to elevate the Pakistan-China partnership in agriculture to a new level, ensuring tangible outcomes in the coming months through structured planning and implementation.'
Arab News
29-07-2025
- Arab News
India's Modi denies third party brokered peace with Pakistan
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday denied that any world leader pushed India to stop fighting Pakistan during their recent conflict, after repeated claims by US President Donald Trump that he had brokered peace. The South Asian rivals fought an intense four-day conflict in May that left more than 70 people dead on both sides before Trump announced a ceasefire between the nuclear-armed neighbors. 'No world leader asked us to stop the operation,' Modi told parliament during a debate on 'Operation Sindoor,' the military campaign launched against Pakistan in May. Modi did not name Trump in his speech. The Indian prime minister also claimed that it was Pakistan that pleaded with India to stop fighting after feeling the 'heat of our attacks.' The conflict was sparked by an April attack on tourists by gunmen in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 26 men dead, mostly Hindus. India accused Pakistan of backing the attackers, a charge Islamabad denied. Trump has claimed numerous times that he brokered peace between the rivals, including most recently on Monday. 'If I weren't around, you'd have, right now, six major wars going on. India would be fighting with Pakistan,' Trump said during his visit to Scotland. Modi's assertion came after Rahul Gandhi from the opposition Congress party challenged the premier to say 'inside the parliament that Donald Trump is lying.' Earlier Tuesday, home minister Amit Shah told lawmakers that three Pakistani gunmen involved in the attack in Indian-administered Kashmir were killed during a military operation on Monday. Shah told parliament that all three were Pakistani nationals and identified two of them as members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, a UN-designated terrorist group based in Pakistan. Muslim-majority Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947, and the neighbors — who both claim the region in full — have fought two wars and several conflicts over its control. The fighting in May brought the rivals close to another war, but Trump announced a ceasefire between them before the two countries did. Soon, opposition parties in India started raising questions about third-party mediation between the foes, a claim New Delhi has always denied.
