Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who is on a three-day official visit to the UAE, has requested the authorities there to ease visa restrictions on Pakistanis. 

Qureshi raised the issue during his meeting with UAE State Minister for Foreign Affairs Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh, according to a statement released by Pakistan’s Foreign Office quoted by Dawn. 

“The foreign minister briefed Sheikh Nahyan about the issues faced by the Pakistani community, in particular the restrictions on visa-related matters. He stressed the importance of resolving them at the earliest,” reads the statement. 

Authorities in the UAE,  in November last year, has banned work visas for Pakistanis. The ban, which was also imposed on a number of other Muslim countries, Pakistan was affected most as it heavily relies on remittances from the Emirates.

Currently, around 1.6 million Pakistanis live in the Gulf country. Reports also suggested that many Pakistanis have been facing difficulty in renewing their work visas and residential permits there. 

According to the statement released by Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the two ministers also underscored the importance of the diaspora community in the development of both countries.