Visa restrictions for Pakistanis traveling to the UAE have started to ease, with 402,000 Pakistanis visiting the Gulf nation in the past four months, the Secretary Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis informed the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis on Thursday.
The official stated that the Pakistani embassy is actively working to resolve visa issues, but no formal meeting has yet taken place with the UAE’s relevant ministry.
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Key Updates on Overseas Pakistanis
Profiling of 10 Million Overseas Pakistanis
The committee was informed that the government is profiling 10 million overseas Pakistanis to gather data on their employment and contributions.
Taxes on Mobile Phones Under Discussion
The Secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis said that discussions with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) are ongoing to determine taxes on mobile phones brought from abroad.
EOBI Registration and Prisoner Transfer Agreements
The secretary also revealed that 10 million private-sector employees are registered with the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI).
Regarding prisoner transfers, officials disclosed that Pakistan currently has agreements only with Malaysia and Indonesia.
Overseas Employment Registrations
For jobs in South Korea, registrations from various cities include:
- 3,906 from Lahore
- 702 from Peshawar
- 358 from Islamabad
- 108 from Karachi
- 13 from Quetta
Consular Access for Overseas Pakistanis
The committee was also informed that 24 community welfare attachés are stationed in 19 countries, providing consular access and assistance to Pakistanis abroad.
The easing of UAE visa restrictions and ongoing efforts to address overseas employment and taxation issues reflect the government’s focus on facilitating overseas Pakistanis.
