KARACHI: The United Arab Emirates plans to issue five-year visas to 100,000 Pakistanis this year, according to an official statement released by authorities in Pakistan’s Sindh province on Wednesday, following a visit by Governor Kamran Khan Tessori to the UAE consulate in Karachi.
The governor’s office and UAE authorities in Pakistan said this week all visa-related issues between the two countries had been resolved, and Pakistani nationals could now apply for five-year visas to the Emirates.
The development came amid widespread reports in recent months of a decline in visa approvals for Pakistanis, allegedly due to violations of local laws and customs, as well as political sloganeering while abroad.
Tessori visited the UAE consulate in Karachi on the invitation of UAE Ambassador Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi following a meeting between the two officials in Karachi on Monday.
“The governor of Sindh, Kamran Khan Tessori, was warmly welcomed by the UAE ambassador and consul general during his visit to the UAE consulate,” the Governor House said in a statement.
“The governor toured the visa center at the consulate, where the ambassador briefed him on the facility,” it added. “Ambassador Hamad Obaid Al-Zaabi said 100,000 Pakistanis would be granted five-year visas. The consul general added that applicants would be treated with great respect at the visa center and receive full cooperation.”
Earlier this week on Tuesday, the UAE consulate in Karachi issued a statement on the meeting between Tessori and Al-Zaabi.
“We love Pakistanis very much,” the statement quoted Consul General Bakheet Ateeq Al-Rumaithi as saying. “Every person can apply for a UAE visa … Pakistani citizens can also apply for a UAE visa for work, medical treatment and other needs.”
The UAE is home to more than a million Pakistani expatriates, making it the second-largest overseas Pakistani community globally and a major contributor to remittance inflows to Pakistan.
Policymakers in Pakistan also view the UAE as an ideal export market due to its proximity, which reduces transportation and freight costs and facilitates smoother trade.
UAE to grant 100,000 Pakistanis five-year visas this year – Sindh governor’s office
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UAE to grant 100,000 Pakistanis five-year visas this year – Sindh governor’s office
- Official statement quotes the UAE envoy mentioning the number of these visas his country plans to issue
- UAE consulate confirmed this week Pakistani citizens can apply for work, medical and other types of visas
Pakistan finance minister touts debt discipline, export focus at Davos panel
- Aurangzeb says debt must fund exports, not consumption, for sustainable growth
- He says Pakistan used fiscal buffers to respond to floods without external appeals
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Wednesday disciplined borrowing, export-led growth and careful debt management were central to stabilizing the country’s economy, as Islamabad looks to unlock new sources of growth amid rising global debt levels.
Speaking at a panel discussion on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, he said debt was not inherently harmful if used productively, but warned that emerging economies such as Pakistan could not afford to deploy borrowed funds for consumption.
“For countries like Pakistan, debt must be channeled into investments that generate exportable surplus,” Aurangzeb said, according to a statement circulated by the Finance Division. “It is not about the availability of debt or funding, but how wisely and effectively it is steered to create long-term economic value.”
Pakistan has been pursuing fiscal reforms as part of an International Monetary Fund-backed stabilization program, including cutting subsidies, broadening the tax base and restructuring state-owned enterprises, as the government seeks to restore macroeconomic stability and revive growth.
Aurangzeb said Pakistan had reduced its debt-to-GDP ratio to 70 percent from 75 percent, achieved a primary fiscal surplus and brought inflation down from a peak of 38 percent to single digits, allowing the central bank to cut its policy rate to 10.5 percent.
He also flagged ongoing debt-management reforms, including liability management operations and buybacks, and said Pakistan plans to enter China’s capital markets with its first Panda bond, structured as a green bond.
Addressing climate risks, Aurangzeb said building fiscal buffers had allowed Pakistan to respond to recent floods using domestic resources rather than international emergency appeals, underscoring the need for resilience in climate-vulnerable economies.
He added that public-private partnerships and capital markets were playing a growing role in financing development, citing a $3.6 billion syndicated financing for a major copper mining project expected to generate $2.8 billion in annual exports from 2028.
The finance minister is part of Pakistan’s delegation visiting Davos for the annual gathering of global leaders and investors.
The delegation is led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who highlighted the country’s shift toward an export-driven growth model, with a focus on minerals, information technology, artificial intelligence and digital services, while speaking at a breakfast event on the sidelines of the forum.
