Shocking Number of Pakistanis Went to UAE Despite Visa Ban

Visa restrictions for Pakistanis traveling to the UAE have begun to ease, with 402,000 Pakistanis going to the Gulf country in the last four months, Secretary Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis informed the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis on Thursday. The official briefed that the Pakistani embassy is making further efforts to address visa concerns, however, no formal meeting has yet taken place between the embassy and the UAE’s relevant ministry. The committee was also informed that the government is profiling 10 million overseas Pakistanis. The Secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis said discussions with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) are underway to determine taxes on mobile phones brought from abroad. Secretary Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis revealed that 10 million private-sector employees are registered with the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI). On another subject, officials disclosed that Pakistan has prisoner transfer agreements only with Malaysia and Indonesia. In terms of overseas employment, 358 individuals from Islamabad, 702 from Peshawar, 108 from Karachi, 13 from Quetta, and 3,906 from Lahore have registered for jobs in South Korea. Also, there are 24 community welfare attachés stationed in 19 countries with consular access.