What happened: On Wednesday Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri revealed that, United Arab Emirates has temporarily suspended the issuance of visit visas to Pakistan, including a dozen of other countries, until further notice.
Why: Chaudhri said in a statement that the decision by the UAE authorities is
“believed to be related to the second wave of Covid-19” .
“We are seeking official confirmation from the concerned UAE authorities in this regard,” he said.
In a statement, FO spokesperson clarified that the suspension will not apply to visas that have already been issued.
Abdullah Hafeez, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) spokesperson confirmed the news and said that written instructions had not been issued to the airline so far. He said that people holding iqama, transit and work visas were still allowed entry in the UAE.