UAE: India, Pakistan cross-border couples face uncertainty, cancel travel plans amid tensions

Khaleej Times

24-04-2025

Nazneen, a Pakistani living in the UAE who is married to Faisal, an Indian from Uttar Pradesh, was eagerly looking forward to the summer holidays. For the couple, this was not just a regular vacation, it was a long-awaited trip to meet their families, whom they have not seen since the pandemic.
'This was going to be our first proper visit after Covid,' said Nazneen, who got married in India in 2014. 'We had everything planned, a few weeks in India, a few in Pakistan. We wanted to see everyone and attend family gatherings.'
But those plans came crashing down when visa services between India and Pakistan were suddenly suspended due to the ongoing crises. Both countries stopped issuing visas to each other's citizens, after the recent attack on tourists in Pahalgam in the Indian-administered Kashmir.
'We had applied for our visas and were hopeful to receive it before the summer vacations. But now, we are stuck. We can't travel to either country together,' said Faisal.
Faisal and Nazneen belong to a community that shares cultural and emotional roots on both sides of the border. Their families speak the same language, follow the same traditions, and celebrate the same festivals.
'Even though our passports are from different countries, we are from the same place,' said Faisal. 'We just want to see our parents and relatives all together for a few days.'
Now, the couple said they are waiting and watching for any good news. 'We have not cancelled our leave yet. There is still a tiny hope things might change,' said Nazneen.
Afreen and Imran, another couple living in Dubai, are facing a similar situation. Afreen, an Indian, was preparing for her brother's wedding in September. Her husband, Imran, who is from Pakistan, had never been to India.
'We were really looking forward to this trip. It would have been his first time meeting my entire family. They were planning a special welcome ceremony for him in my hometown,' said Afreen.
The couple tied the knot in Dubai in 2022. 'We decided to get married in Dubai because we have a lot of family members here and it is the ideal place for us to work and live in,' said Afreen.
'We had just started the visa process,' Imran said. 'It hasn't been easy. We had even tried to apply for a visa for me last year. But it got rejected. There are so many documents, checks, and waiting times. But at least there was a chance this time. Now, we don't even have that.'
The couple is positive things will settle down in the near future, and the wedding, which is scheduled in September, will not be cancelled. 'Maybe things will settle down. We just don't want to give up without trying,' said Afreen.
For these couples, the current situation feels like an emotionally draining moment. What was meant to be a family reunion and celebration has now become a time of waiting.
'We have made the UAE our home but our hearts still belong to the places we come from,' said Nazneen.