Recruitment agencies fear Pakistani nationals will lose job opportunities to Indians after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has suspended issuance of work or employment visas to 13 Muslim-majority countries including Pakistan. In fact, since the ban came into effect on 18 of November, one recruitment agency alone in Rawalpindi has lost 3,000 jobs which have now been diverted to India by its client.
Initially, it was reported that the suspension was only limited to visit visas but the UAE authorities now confirmed that work and employment visas have also been banned till further notice.
Read also: UAE suspends issuance of visit visas to Pakistan and 11 other countries
A Foreign Office statement last week suggested that the ban was only on visit visas and believed to be linked to the second wave of Covid-19.
However, a report appeared in the Al-Jazeera quoting unnamed official claimed the move was linked to security concerns, although those security concerns were not elaborated.
Sources in Islamabad said Pakistan was not formally intimated about the suspension. Authorities have been trying to reach out to the UAE authorities to ascertain the reason.
Recruiters feared that if the issue was not taken up with the UAE authorities at the highest level Pakistan would lose the market to India.
Although, there is no official confirmation, some observers link the ban with Pakistan’s apparent hiccup in ties with the Arab countries.
Source: Express Tribune
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