The United Arab Emirates has stopped issuing visas to Pakistani citizens, Interior Ministry official Salman Chaudhry has told a Senate committee, citing concerns over “misuse” of visit visas.

Dawn reported Chaudhry’s remarks to the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights on Thursday, in which he clarified that only blue and diplomatic passport holders are currently being granted visas.

He warned that a full ban, if imposed, would be difficult to reverse.

According to the Pakistan-based English-language daily, the committee was also told that very few visas had been granted in recent weeks and only after “much difficulty”.

Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, who heads the committee, confirmed the official’s remarks, saying the restriction was linked to concerns over Pakistanis travelling to the UAE and getting involved in criminal activities.

A senior diplomat at the UAE embassy dismissed social media claims of a formal ban, telling Dawn there was “no ban on visas for Pakistani citizens”.

In a separate development, UAE Ambassador to Pakistan Salem M Salem Al Bawab Al Zaabi shared “major UAE visa facilitation reforms for Pakistanis” with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in Islamabad, the newspaper said.

The reforms include online visa processing, e-visas without passport stamping, and faster system-to-system links, it added.

Nearly 500 visas are being processed daily at the newly launched UAE Visa Centre in Pakistan, Dawn said.

The envoy emphasised stronger bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, technology, and people-to-people ties.

Dawn noted past visa issues as well, saying Pakistan had raised concerns earlier this year after a rise in visa rejections.

The UAE had assured Islamabad of support in expediting applications, while also expressing reservations about Pakistanis entering the country on visit visas and resorting to begging.

The Senate committee was earlier told in January that some UAE visas had been “unofficially closed”, though work visas were not restricted, as per the newspaper.