The visa mystery

Around 1.5 million Pakistanis who live and work in the UAE could be badly affected by the refusal by the UAE to extend visas to Pakistanis, at least for a temporary period. The list of countries which will not be granted visas also include nations such as Iran and Turkey, amongst others. As should happen, Pakistan has taken up the issue at the diplomatic level, given that ties between Islamabad and the UAE have traditionally been close and the United Arab Emirates is seen as an extremely important ally. However, Pakistan has been told by the country that the visa restriction is temporary, and is based on the Covid virus and its attempt to prevent it entering the UAE which has taken stringent steps to stop the virus from spreading within its own borders.

This may be true. We can understand the desire of the UAE to prevent Covid-19 taking hold of the country. But the explanation given to Pakistan does not tell us why there are no visa restrictions on India, which compared to Pakistan's 459,000 cases of Covid has 10 million cases or the US which is topping the number anywhere in the world. If citizens from these countries can be allowed into the UAE, why should Pakistanis and indeed nationals from other countries listed by the UAE be restricted? It is also a fact that important personalities from the UAE are continuing to visit Pakistan to carry out their traditional activities. According to what we know, and what is being said in diplomatic circles, the issue may concern other foreign policy objectives, on which till now Pakistan has rightly stood its ground.

No doubt, the issue is a delicate one and needs to be sorted out through talks and sensible diplomacy. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi did bring up the issue with his counterpart during his recent visit to the UAE, but it does not seem any solution has immediately been found. Mahmood and his team at the FO will need to continue their efforts and also gain an answer from the UAE as to what the reasons are for the restriction and what Pakistan must do to change the policy while being allowed to follow its own decisions as regards important foreign policy issues.