The decision by the UAE authorities is “believed to be related to the second wave of COVID-19,” Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in a statement. “We have learnt that the UAE has temporarily suspended the issuance of new visit visas until further announcement for 12 countries, including Pakistan,” he said, adding that the government is seeking official confirmation from the UAE authorities in this matter. However, the suspension would not apply on already issued visas, the Foreign Office said. Also read | UAE to extend ‘golden’ visa’s eligibility criteriaIt was not immediately clear how many categories of visas would be affected by the suspension. In June, when cases in Pakistan were on the rise, UAE airline Emirates had announced temporary suspension of passenger services from Pakistan till July 3.

Source: The Hindu November 19, 2020 07:07 UTC