DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates is going to resume visit visa services for Pakistani citizens on Aug. 1, the prime minister’s special assistant on overseas Pakistanis, Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari, said in a press conference in Dubai on Thursday.
Bukhari is currently on a visit to the UAE to discuss with Emirati officials the situation of Pakistani workers in the Gulf state’s labor market, which emerging from a coronavirus standstill.
“We had a meeting today with a senior UAE official and he has given us hope that the UAE will fully open for tourism starting Aug. 1 and visas for Pakistanis will also be included in this,” Bukhari said in response to question by Arab News.
He appealed to overseas Pakistanis to avail of the grace period given by the UAE government to extend the validity of all types visas by Aug. 17. “Those who want to leave the country can do so by Aug. 17 without being fined,” he said.
Earlier in the day, the Pakistani prime minister’s aide met with UAE Human Resources and Emiratization Minister Nasser bin Thani Al-Hamli to discuss issues related to Pakistanis residing in the Emirates.
“Among other issues discussed with the minister, we also discussed the availability of jobs for Pakistanis in UAE,” Bukhari said, adding that since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, around 36,000 Pakistanis in the UAE had been laid off and were returning home.
“This is not a big number if you compare it with the population size here which is 1.7 million,” he said.
The news of visit visa services was welcomed by Pakistani expats.
Hameed Raza, 32, an IT professional based in Dubai, said that a close relative had been offered a job in the UAE, but could not come due to delays in visa services.
“Since the UAE has opened up to everyone, it is only fair that visas are also issued to Pakistanis. My cousin has been offered an opportunity here and he wants to come over for a visit but has not been able to until now,” Hameed said, adding that Bukhari’s announcement brought relief.
Sarfaraz Ahmed Ansari, 45, a marketing manager with a Dubai-based firm, said he would finally be able to see his family. “My family, who are in Islamabad, have been waiting for me to bring them to the UAE, but because of the pandemic and now the ban on visit visas for Pakistanis, this has been impossible. I too cannot travel for some reasons and it’s been many months since I have seen them. Now I will apply as soon as this announcement is made official.”
UAE to resume visa services for Pakistanis next month — PM’s adviser
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UAE to resume visa services for Pakistanis next month — PM’s adviser
- Pakistani PM’s special assistant is in UAE to discuss with Emirati officials the situation of Pakistani workers in the Gulf state’s post-COVID-19 labor market
- He appealed to overseas Pakistanis to avail of the grace period given by the UAE to extend the validity of all types visas by Aug. 17
PM calls for tapping gemstone reserves as Pakistan pushes for economic recovery
- Pakistan this month approved first national policy framework for precious stones, aiming to lift annual exports to $1 billion
- PM Shehbaz Sharif directs implementation of new policy framework, completion of Islamabad Gemstone Center by Aug. 2027
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday called for tapping Pakistan’s vast gemstone reserves, Sharif’s office said, as Islamabad seeks to boost their exports to support economic recovery.
The development comes two weeks after Pakistan approved its first national policy framework for gemstones and precious stones, aiming to reform the sector, align it with international standards and lift annual exports to $1 billion within five years.
Pakistan has intensified efforts to monetize its untapped mineral resources, amid fiscal pressures and an International Monetary Fund-backed reform program. Over the past two years, Islamabad has hosted international minerals conferences and signed agreements with countries including the United States, Saudi Arabia and China to attract investment and move up the value chain in mining and minerals processing.
On Monday, PM Sharif presided over a meeting on the promotion of precious stones and minerals in Islamabad, at which he directed seeking services of relevant experts of international repute for the construction of proposed gemstone centers in Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, according to his office.
“There is a need to utilize the potential of gemstone reserves in Pakistan so that valuable foreign exchange can be earned from the exports of these precious stones,” Sharif was quoted as saying by his office.
Despite officials estimating Pakistan’s gemstone reserves at around $450 billion, formal exports remain negligible, at about $5.8 million annually, due to weak certification systems, limited domestic processing capacity, widespread smuggling and fragmented regulation across federal and provincial authorities.
Pakistan’s new policy framework includes geological mapping to accurately assess reserves, the establishment of internationally accredited laboratories and certification regimes and the creation of a dedicated authority to regulate and promote the sector. The government also plans to set up a National Warranty Office and centers of excellence to support training, research and value-added processing.
The prime minister directed the implementation of the policy framework and the completion of Islamabad Gemstone Center by Aug. 2027.
A location has been identified on the Constitution Highway for the establishment of a gemstone center in Islamabad, according to Sharif’s office. The center will provide international standard value addition services, certification, incubation center and trade center facilities.
“Exports should be increased through value addition in the gemstone industry,” he said, urging officials to work together with the governments of all provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir to promote the industry.
