Latest news with #PakistaniNationals
Khaleej Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
UAE: Pakistan's ban on deportees will ease travel, visa issues for genuine visitors
Pakistani nationals in the UAE have welcomed their government's recent move to cancel the passports of deported nationals, saying it will help protect the country's reputation and ease the visa process for genuine travellers. The new policy applies to individuals deported from the UAE, Gulf countries, Europe, the US, and other regions. Upon returning to Pakistan, these deportees will have their passports cancelled, be placed on a five-year travel ban, and face legal action through a First Information Report (FIR), as announced earlier this week. Khaleej Times spoke to several Pakistanis in the UAE, and they said the move would ensure that genuine tourists and businessmen who want to visit the UAE would not face any hassle. Muhammad Feroz Khan, currently visiting the UAE to meet his son and explore potential investment opportunities, welcomed the move, saying it would help curb the illegal activities of agents who exploit ordinary citizens by sending them abroad without proper documentation and charging exorbitant fees. "The government's decision to ban such individuals from traveling abroad again for a certain period is justified, as it reinforces compliance with international laws and helps protect the country's reputation," he said. He further urged Pakistani authorities to ensure that only those with genuine visas and who fully meet travel requirements are allowed to leave the country. However, sometimes, recruitment agencies also send blue-collar workers on fake visas. Last week, Pakistani missions in the UAE advised their citizens to 'exercise extreme caution when responding to online job advertisements offered outside the UAE because several individuals have fallen victim to fraudulent employment schemes abroad. Pakistani national Rehana Perveen, currently visiting the UAE, was extremely worried when the travel agent in her home city, Lahore, told her that she had a 50-50 chance of visit visa approval. 'The travel agent told us visas were being rejected, so we decided to apply here in the UAE. Thankfully, we got it two days ago,' said relieved Rehana. She added that it is 'definitely' a welcome decision because other Pakistanis who want to come to UAE to meet their loved ones for tourism or business can get visas easily. A travel executive in Dubai, asking not to be named, said sometimes airlines have to bear the loss. 'It is important for travel agencies that when they apply for visas on behalf of an applicant, they ensure that person leaves the country before the visa expires. A certain amount is asked as a deposit from applicants for safety purposes to make sure that he/she leaves the country,' the agent said.
Russia Today
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
‘They told me to leave the only home I know': How the India-Pakistan crisis has torn families apart
In the shadow of snow-capped Himalayan peaks, the picturesque valley of Pahalgam in Kashmir became the site of bloodshed and horror last month when terrorists struck a group of tourists, killing 26 people in one of the deadliest attacks in the region in recent years. The incident sent shockwaves through the already fragile India-Pakistan relations, leading to a military confrontation within weeks of the attacks. Thousands of Pakistani nationals residing in India, however, felt the consequences immediately, and continue to face uncertainty. Within 48 hours of the attack, the Indian government announced sweeping measures, including revoking valid visas of Pakistanis and ordering them to leave by April 27 (the duration of medical visas was extended till April 29, 2025). All visas, except for diplomatic, official, and long-term visas, stand cancelled since April 27. New Delhi also "strongly advised" Indian nationals to avoid travelling to Pakistan. "Those Indian nationals currently in Pakistan are also advised to return to India at the earliest,' the foreign ministry said. The exact number of people that had to leave both countries due to the latest tensions is not clear – but is estimated to be in the hundreds. Beyond the diplomatic posturing and a four-day military standoff that sent shockwaves through the region, a humanitarian crisis unfolded in real time, as hundreds of Pakistani citizens took to the Attari border in Amritsar to leave India as soon as possible. Naoamana Jarreen Farooqui's story epitomizes this predicament. Three decades ago, she married Jameel Ahmad from Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh, bringing with her dreams of love and a shared future. Now 52, she is the mother of four daughters and two sons, and grandmother to several children. Despite living in India for 30 years, she has been unable to secure citizenship. 'I have applied three times,' she told RT in a phone interview, her voice trembling. 'Each time, the paperwork was returned after the one-month processing period.' Now, she lives on a Long-Term Visa (LTV), which must be regularly renewed. The new citizenship processes introduced under the BJP government have allowed her to apply online, but crucial documents remain unprocessed through the Additional District Magistrate's office. 'Where will I go now?' she asks. 'My entire family is here. My children and grandchildren are Indian citizens. Pakistan is no longer home to me.' Similarly, Razia Khatoon, 70, faces a dire situation. Born in Bahraich to Indian parents, she was originally an Indian citizen. After marrying a Pakistani man from Lahore, she surrendered her Indian citizenship. When that marriage ended in divorce, she returned to India in 1978 and married Fayyaz Ali Khan from Bahraich. However, her previous surrender of Indian citizenship means she remains a Pakistani national living on an LTV. Now widowed and childless, Razia lives with her sister near a local dargah (shrine) in Bahraich. She survives by doing odd jobs at a madrasa and relies on charity for her medical expenses. When informed about the potential requirement to return to Pakistan, she could only respond with tears: 'I have no one left in Pakistan. India is the only home I know.' Under Indian rules, all long-term visa holders are allowed to visit their home country after obtaining a second permit, called the No Objection to Return to India (NORI) visa. But in the days following the attack, there have been reports of NORI visa holders also being stopped from crossing the border into India, as officials waited for clarity. The path to Indian citizenship for Pakistani nationals is fraught with bureaucratic hurdles. Under current regulations, Pakistani citizens must maintain continuous residence in India for at least seven years before applying. Additionally, a first-class Indian officer must certify their photographs and signatures. Legal experts say the process became more complicated following the introduction of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in 2019, which specifically excludes Muslims from its expedited citizenship provisions for persecuted minorities from neighboring countries. Advocate M Khalil (name changed on request), who has represented several Pakistani nationals in citizenship cases, told RT: 'Even those who qualify under the existing framework face years of bureaucratic delays. The current geopolitical climate only worsens their situation.' Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Prashant Kumar, in an exclusive interview with RT, said, 'All the residents under the given criterias from government of India have been asked to leave the state and they adhered to our orders. There are some people living in the state but their visa does not fall under the one who have been asked to leave.'For people like Naoamana and Razia, the geopolitical shifts translate into immediate personal crises. Their experiences mirror those of thousands trapped between two nuclear-armed nations burdened by decades of mutual suspicion and hostility. In Bahraich, the local authorities have offered a sliver of reassurance, noting that holders of LTVs have yet to receive formal deportation orders. Still, for many, uncertainty has become a daily affliction. 'I've spent more years in India than in Pakistan,' Naoamana says. 'My children know no other home. If I am forced to leave, where will I go? Who will I be?' Nearly a month after tensions flared, and with both countries now observing a fragile ceasefire, Pakistani nationals residing in India continue to grapple with a profound crisis of identity and belonging. They remain unintended casualties of a geopolitical conflict far beyond their control – caught in a struggle they neither started nor shaped. Meanwhile, Kashmir once again finds itself at the center of a storm that threatens to wash away the lives and dreams of thousands whose only crime was to be born on the wrong side of a contentious border.
Times of Oman
08-05-2025
- Times of Oman
ROP nab two in drug trafficking operation
Muscat: The Royal Oman Police (ROP) has arrested two Pakistani nationals for drug trafficking. The Directorate for Combating Drugs and Psychotropic Substances of the South Al Batinah Governorate Police Command, working with Al Buraimi Governorate Police, apprehended the suspects, who were found in possession of a large quantity of crystal methamphetamine and over 7,300 psychotropic pills. Authorities confirmed that the seized illegal substances were displayed after the operation, underscoring their dedication to preventing drug-related crimes and protecting public safety. The arrested individuals are currently in police custody, and legal proceedings are in progress.
Japan Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
New Delhi's warning to Islamabad
Last month, Islamist gunmen — two of whom have been identified as Pakistani nationals — slaughtered 26 civilians in the Indian-administered part of divided Kashmir. It was a brutal attack, in which Hindu tourists, including one from Nepal, were singled out for slaughter. And yet, it was not surprising: Terrorist groups have long operated freely from Pakistani soil, with the tacit or explicit support of Pakistan's powerful military. What might be different this time is that India may have finally found a way to push back, including through military strikes on Pakistani terror camps — strikes that Indian officials claimed were 'measured, responsible and designed to be nonescalatory in nature.' Despite the risks of tit-for-tat retaliation, India, as the stronger side, could escalate or de-escalate the conflict to its advantage.
