Latest news with #PakistaniNationals
Arab News
07-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistani interior minister to discuss ‘visa rejections' with UAE counterpart this week
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Monday he would meet his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) later this week to discuss the issue of visa rejections for Pakistani nationals, expressing hope for a resolution of the recurring problem. The statement comes amid ongoing reports of a sharp decline in UAE visa approvals for Pakistanis. Local media outlets have attributed the rejections to an alleged lack of respect for local laws and customs by Pakistani expats. The issue has also been linked to concerns over documentation and criminal record checks. 'You are right, this [UAE visa rejection] has become an issue,' Naqvi said during a news conference in Karachi when asked about the recurring problem of visa rejections. 'I am meeting the interior minister of the UAE regarding this two days from now [July 9] and I have a lot of hope that we will find a solution to this.' He acknowledged the matter was affecting a wide segment of Pakistanis, particularly those with business ties to the UAE. In February, Pakistan's ambassador to the UAE, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, described the refusal of visas to Pakistani nationals as a 'serious and significant' issue that authorities in both countries were working to resolve. He pointed to several contributing factors, including discrepancies in visa documents and criminal records of some applicants. Naqvi also referenced Kuwait's decision in May to lift a 19-year-old visa ban on Pakistani citizens, framing it as part of broader efforts by the current government to enhance Pakistan's global mobility and the standing of its passport. 'In the next two years, you will see this green passport that you have at a better position in the ranking,' he said. The UAE is Pakistan's third-largest trading partner after China and the United States, and is considered a critical market due to its geographic proximity and logistical advantages. The Gulf state is also Pakistan's second-largest source of foreign remittances, after Saudi Arabia, with over 1.8 million Pakistani expatriates living and working there.
Malay Mail
05-07-2025
- Malay Mail
Shah Alam police tracking down Pakistani national, suspected of sexually assaulting young boys
SHAH ALAM, July 5 — Police are on the hunt for a Pakistani man believed to be a suspect in four cases of sodomy and molestation involving children and teenage boys in Section 27 and Section 28 here this year. Shah Alam district police chief ACP Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim said his team received four separate reports involving victims, aged nine, 13, 14, and 19 years old, regarding incidents that began in April and continue to this day, and all the incidents are believed to have been carried out by the same individual. 'The suspect's modus operandi is to initially ask for help from the victims and then take them to a secluded area before sodomising or molesting the victim. 'A total of four investigation papers have been opened, with two being investigated under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, while the other two are under Section 377C of the Penal Code,' he said in a statement today. Mohd Iqbal said the suspect Muhammad Hassan, 25, is unemployed and with his last known address being Taman Bunga Negara Flat in Section 27, Shah Alam. He said any individual with information regarding the incidents can contact Crime Investigation Officer, Inspector Siti Mahanira Mahat at 017-6444895. Previously, a WhatsApp post went viral, showing residents' concerns about a group of Pakistani nationals asking for help from children, especially boys. The group was also accused of seeking men aged 18 and under. — Bernama
Khaleej Times
28-06-2025
- Khaleej Times
Dubai: Gang accused of strangling businessman to death in villa robbery case
The Dubai Criminal Court started hearing the case of five men accused of killing a 55-year-old Indian businessman during a recent robbery at the victim's villa in Al Wuhaida area. According to case files, the defendants — all of Pakistani nationality — allegedly stormed the victim's residence, tied him up, and assaulted him with a blunt object before strangling him to death. The motive was theft, prosecutors told the court, adding that a safe containing cash, passports, and jewellery was stolen from the bedroom. The case came to light when the victim's son returned home around 9.30pm and found his father unresponsive. He told investigators that he tried to reach his father multiple times by phone earlier in the evening. Upon entering the room, he discovered the body and noticed the safe was missing. Police teams were dispatched immediately, including forensic experts and CID officers. Surveillance footage from the villa's security cameras showed three of the accused entering the premises at around 4pm on the day of the crime. Twenty minutes later, they were seen leaving with a medium-sized safe. The forensic report submitted to the court confirmed the victim suffered multiple injuries and was ultimately strangled after resisting the attackers. Investigations led to the arrest of three suspects within the country. Two others were apprehended at an airport in their home country in coordination with international authorities and later extradited to the UAE. One of the defendants claimed during interrogation that he acted only as the driver and was unaware of the full extent of the plan. He told prosecutors that after the robbery, the group travelled to a farm in another emirate, where they broke open the safe and divided its contents. All five defendants confessed during questioning and have been referred to trial on charges of premeditated murder and theft.
Times of Oman
20-06-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
Deposits by Indians in Swiss Banks fall nearly 18% over last 10 years: Swiss National Bank Data
New Delhi: Deposits of Indian customers in Swiss banks have declined by around 18 per cent over the past decade, according to the latest figures released by the Swiss National Bank (SNB). The data highlighted a drop from approximately 425 million Swiss francs in 2015 to 346 million Swiss francs in 2024. The SNB data also showed that Indian deposits had seen a sharp rise during the COVID-19 period, touching a 10-year high of around 602 million Swiss francs. However, the deposits started declining after the pandemic peak. In 2023, deposits stood at 309 million Swiss francs, but in 2024, it grows by 37 million Swiss francs to reach 346 million Swiss francs. Despite this annual rise, the overall trend over the last decade remains downward. However, the decline in deposits is not unique to India. Several other major economies also witnessed a reduction in funds deposit in Swiss banks by their nationals. For instance, deposits by UK nationals fell from 44 billion Swiss francs in 2015 to 31 billion Swiss francs in 2024. Chinese deposits also saw a decline, reducing from 5.01 billion Swiss francs to 4.3 billion Swiss francs over the same period. The neighbouring countries of India Pakistan and Bangladesh also saw decline, deposits held by Pakistani nationals in Swiss banks have witnessed a steep decline over the last ten years. According to the data deposits by Pakistanis stood at 947 million Swiss francs in 2015 but have dropped significantly to 241 million Swiss francs by 2024, a fall of nearly 75 per cent. A similar trend was observed in the case of Bangladeshi nationals. Their deposits in Swiss banks declined from 48 million Swiss francs in 2015 to just 12.6 million Swiss francs in 2024, marking a drop of over 73 per cent. The decline reflects a reducing trend of foreign deposits in Swiss banks it can be due to various reasons like tightening regulations, increased scrutiny, and changes in international financial transparency norms. Saudi Arabian deposits nearly halved during the 10-year period, from 8.3 billion Swiss francs in 2015 to 4.8 billion Swiss francs in 2024. The most significant drop was seen in deposits by American nationals. Their deposits in Swiss banks dropped steeply from 64.2 billion Swiss francs in 2015 to 24.4 billion Swiss francs in 2024, a decline of about 62 per cent. The data highlighted a broader trend of declining foreign deposits in Swiss banks, possibly reflecting greater transparency, international regulations, and shifts in global financial preferences.
Arab News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan says 3,000 evacuated from Iran as stranded students plead for help
ISLAMABAD: The foreign office said on Thursday about 3,000 Pakistani nationals have been evacuated from Iran following the Israeli attack, adding the country's diplomatic mission is working to facilitate stranded students seeking urgent evacuation. A week of Israeli air and missile strikes, which began on June 13, has led to the killing of many of Iran's top-ranking military officials and ordinary people. In response, Tehran's retaliatory strikes have also killed about two dozen civilians in Israel. Following Friday's escalation, Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights, stranding hundreds of expatriates, including Pakistani religious tourists, students and workers. 'The evacuation is moving smoothly and so far, nearly 3,000 Pakistani nationals have already been evacuated,' foreign office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters in his weekly media briefing. 'Our consulates in Zahedan and Mashhad have been active round the clock, extending all possible facilitation and support to our nationals who are in Iran,' he said, expressing gratitude to the Iranian authorities for their sensitivity and all possible facilitation and help extended in this process. Khan said the Pakistani mission was using multiple routes to evacuate citizens, including via the Gabr and Taftan border crossings, through Ashgabat, Baku and even Baghdad, through special flights. 'It's an ongoing process as there are logistical challenges at times, but we are working together with the Iranian authorities to resolve them if a problem arises,' he added. The spokesperson said there is a sizeable Pakistani community in Iran, with many of them living in the neighboring state for years with their families after marrying local people. STRANDED STUDENTS Speaking to Arab News from various cities across Iran, Pakistani students expressed serious concerns about their safety and appealed for immediate evacuation. 'I have been stranded here since the suspension of flight operations due to the regional tensions,' Muhammad Hussain, a Pakistani medical student at Qom University of Medical Sciences, told Arab News over the phone. 'The situation is becoming more tense, we are now hearing continuous explosions, which has increased our concern for safety,' he said, adding that he tried to reach out to the Pakistan embassy as well who asked him to travel to the Chabahar border. 'I am unable to get any means to go there,' he said, urging the Pakistan government and the embassy to arrange special transport to take them to border. 'Our families are extremely worried, and we just want to go back,' he added. Noman Khan, an MBBS student in Urmia, a city in Iran's Azerbaijan province, said he was part of a group of Pakistani students, including 10 girls, awaiting repatriation amid the ongoing situation. 'We contacted the embassy to evacuate us and, about two days ago, they asked us to book a bus ourselves, promising to send the payment,' he informed, adding that even after more than 60 hours, they were still waiting for the payment without which they were unable to get transport to cross border. 'We have female students with us as well who are also scared as nearby cities were also hit by missiles,' he continued. 'Our city is about two hours away from Tabriz and almost two to three drones were shot down in our city as well.' Saman Yunus, another medical student at Iran University of Medical Sciences, said that due to the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, they had been traveling for the past four days. 'The Pakistani Embassy advised us that it would be safer to go to the Chabahar border and assured us that any issues related to accommodation or other needs would be resolved within minutes,' she told Arab News. However, she said the biggest problem they faced was that the border was not open 24/7 and there was no accommodation available. 'As a result, we had to spend the entire night on the roadside and we contacted both our university and the embassy, but no help was provided,' she continued, adding they were now heading to Pakistani consulate in Zahedan, hoping they would facilitate a safe border crossing. 'A representative there has assured us that they will handle it as soon as possible and ensure we safely cross border,' she added.
