Pakistan cites ‘progress’ with UAE on visas, expects ‘good news’ in July

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Monday he is hopeful the UAE will resume the issuance of visas for Pakistanis in July.
In November last year, the UAE limited the issuance of new visas for nationals of several countries, including Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, citing the coronavirus pandemic.
During his latest UAE visit in April, Qureshi said he had raised the issue with the Gulf state’s foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.
“We have had progress (on the matter) with UAE, and God willing, I am hopeful that in July, you will hear good news,” Qureshi told reporters in Islamabad
With a population of over 1.5 million, Pakistanis are the second largest national group in the UAE after Indians, constituting some 12 percent of the country’s total population.