ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has repatriated 1,200 prisoners from the UAE in recent months as part of the country’s “humanitarian efforts” amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Overseas Pakistanis said on Saturday night.
“A part of our humanitarian efforts during COVID-19 was release and repatriation of 1,200 prisoners from UAE, with 121 now left in prisons in Abu Dhabi,” Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari said in a tweet.
He further thanked UAE Interior Minister Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Hamad Obaid Al-Zaabi, UAE’s ambassador in Islamabad, for their support in the release of Pakistani prisoners.
Bukhari was on a three-day visit to the UAE from July 23-25, during the visit he discussed issues faced by the Pakistani community in the UAE, particularly those who had lost their jobs due to the coronavirus outbreak and were stranded in the country.
According to a statement issued by Bukhari’s office on Sunday, nearly 75,000 Pakistanis had returned from the UAE on more than 300 select flights, recently.
1,200 Pakistani prisoners brought back from the UAE amid pandemic – PM aide
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1,200 Pakistani prisoners brought back from the UAE amid pandemic – PM aide
- Bukhari says only 121 remain in prisons in Abu Dhabi
- Follows return of 75,000 Pakistani expatriates from the emirates in recent months
Pakistan president meets UAE counterpart, explores trade, investment opportunities
- Asif Ali Zardari is in UAE on four-day visit to strengthen bilateral ties, review bilateral cooperation
- Both sides discuss regional, international developments, reaffirm commitment to promote peace
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari met his UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday during which both sides explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy and other sectors, Zardari's office said.
Zardari arrived in Abu Dhabi on Monday evening with a high-level delegation on a four-day official visit to the UAE to review trade, economic and security cooperation.
"The leaders discussed ways to further deepen the longstanding and brotherly relations between Pakistan and the UAE," a statement from Zardari's office said about his meeting with the UAE president.
"They reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, technology, and people-to-people exchanges, highlighting the significant potential for expanding economic and strategic partnership.
Zardari highlighted the significance of Al-Nayhan's visit to Pakistan last month, the statement said, expressing appreciation for the UAE's continued support for strengthening bilateral ties.
It said both sides also exchanged views on a range of regional and international developments, reaffirming their commitment to promoting peace, stability and sustainable development.
The meeting was also attended by Pakistan's First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, the Pakistani president's son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan's ambassador to the UAE.
ZARDARI MEETS AD PORTS CEO
Zardari earlier met AD Ports Group CEO Captain Mohamed Juma Al-Shamisi to discuss the group's investment initiatives in Karachi.
"Both sides agreed that the expansion and modernization of port infrastructure would strengthen trade flows and support Pakistan’s broader economic development and country’s seaborne trade," the President's Secretariat said in a statement.
It added that Zardari described the AD Ports Group's long-term investment and expanding role in Pakistan's maritime and logistics sector as a key pillar of Pakistan–UAE economic cooperation.
Pakistan and the UAE maintain close political and economic relations, with Abu Dhabi playing a pivotal role in supporting Islamabad during periods of financial stress through deposits, oil facilities and investment commitments.
The UAE is Pakistan's third-largest trading partner, after China and the United States, and a key destination for Pakistani exports, particularly food, textiles and construction services.
The Gulf state is also home to more than 1.5 million Pakistani expatriates, one of the largest overseas Pakistani communities in the world, who contribute billions of dollars annually in remittances, a crucial source of foreign exchange for Pakistan’s economy.
Beyond trade and labor ties, Pakistan and the UAE have steadily expanded defense and security cooperation over the years, including military training, joint exercises and collaboration in counter-terrorism and regional security matters.
