ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari denied a media report on Thursday, saying the United Arab Emirates had not imposed a ban on the import of Pakistani workforce.
According to a story published by Reuters on Wednesday, the UAE had stopped issuing new visas to the citizens of 13 Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan.
The wire service maintained that it had seen a document issued by a state-owned business park in the Gulf state and quoted an unnamed source that claimed that the decision was taken due to security reasons.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari holds a virtual meeting with United Arab Emirates Minister for Human Resources and Emiratization Nasser bin Thani in Islamabad on November 26, 2020. (Photo courtesy: Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis)
Bukhari said in a Twitter post on Thursday, however, that he had discussed the issue with a top UAE official who categorically denied that such a ban had been imposed on the import of Pakistani workforce.
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Thankful to HE Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli(Minister of Human Resources & Emiratisation) for his continued support for #OverseasPakistanis
-Contrary to media reports, he categorically stated there is NO BAN on export of workforce
-There has been 11% in knowledge workers— Sayed Z Bukhari (@sayedzbukhari) November 26, 2020
He added that the number of "Pakistani knowledge workers" had increased in the UAE by 11 percent, adding that the Pakistani nationals who were laid off during the pandemic and registered on Virtual Labor Market Databases were given priority.
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-Workers including Pakistanis laid off during #Covid19 registered on Virtual Labour Market Database are given priority
-10yr golden visa applications are also being encouraged
Looking forward to continued collaboration with UAE leadership to address the issues of our diaspora— Sayed Z Bukhari (@sayedzbukhari) November 26, 2020
Addressing the weekly media briefing, Pakistan's foreign office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri also maintained that the media report was not confirmed by the UAE authorities.
"The developments regarding a change in visa policy of the UAE for Pakistani nationals and its purported causes have not been confirmed by the UAE," he said during the press briefing on Thursday.
Chaudhri said the foreign ministry was in touch with UAE officials in this connection.
"We do not agree with the media reports that characterize the attitude of UAE authorities toward Pakistan as hostile," he continued, adding that millions of Pakistanis worked and peacefully resided in the Gulf country with the approval of its government.
"Isolated events should not be used to cast aspersions over the nature of Pakistan’s longstanding fraternal ties with the UAE," he said.
