‘UAE stopped visas for Pakistanis over threats to Israelis’

NEW DELHI: The suspension of visas by the United Arab Emirates to the citizens of Pakistan and 12 other countries was the outcome of alerts about possible attacks on growing numbers of Israeli citizens flocking to the emirates, people familiar with developments said on Thursday.

The people, both in New Delhi and other capitals, said on condition of anonymity that the suspension, which remains in effect since November 18, was aimed at giving time to UAE authorities to streamline and bolster their procedures to effectively screen applicants from these countries.

Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who has been facing growing domestic pressure over the suspension of visas and detention of Pakistani nationals in the UAE, raised the matter during his visit to the UAE in December. A statement issued by UAE’s foreign ministry had then said the restrictions on visas were temporary in nature and due to the Covid-19 outbreak. But three different people said the move followed specific alerts about possible attacks on Israelis who have been travelling in large numbers to the UAE since the two countries normalised ties in August.

“The foreign ministry’s statement appears to have been aimed at assuaging the Pakistani sentiments. There were alerts about possible attacks ,” said one person. In a report on November 25, Reuters had cited a source as saying visas to citizens of Pakistan and the other countries had been stopped over “security concerns”.

In the case of Pakistan, the focus apparently will be on screening visa applications from the country’s tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, where the Taliban and several other terror groups are active.