 "7 countries including Saudi and UAE expelled 258 Pakistani citizens, 16 arrested, know the whole case")
Pakistan News: Pakistan has once again faced embarrassment in front of the world. In the last 24 hours, seven countries of the world, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and China, have repatriated 258 Pakistani nationals.
Of the 258 people who arrived at Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport, 244 were deported based on emergency travel documents, according to a Pakistani media report citing immigration officials. While 14 had valid Pakistani passports. Only 16 deportees were arrested due to questionable identities, the rest were released after questioning.
Pakistan’s leading news channel Geo News has reported that Saudi Arabia has deported 232 people. These include seven beggars, people caught performing Hajj without permits and people sent back after serving their sentences. Apart from this, they also include Pakistanis. Those who overstayed in the country or were found to be working without reason or beyond the validity of their visa.
Saudi agencies deported 112 people after complaints from their sponsors. 63 people were charged more. Also, UAE has sent 21 Pakistanis.
were deported, four of whom were involved in drug trafficking. While China, Qatar, Indonesia, Cyprus and Nigeria sent back one Pakistani citizen each. In the last few years, a large number of unsuspecting travelers from Pakistan have gone abroad. These people are living illegally in other countries as refugees, illegal drug traffickers, beggars and human traffickers.
Saudi Arabia angry with Pakistan
Meanwhile, the Saudi Arabian Civil Aviation Authority (GACA) has announced polio vaccination for Pakistani nationals traveling to the Gulf country. Vaccination certificate has been made mandatory. According to GACA, anyone violating the latest directive will face stiff penalties and legal action. Pakistan is one of the last two polio-endemic countries in the world, along with Afghanistan.
In 2024, 68 cases of this crippling disease were reported. The Saudi government’s decision comes at a time when several Gulf countries have imposed visa bans on Pakistanis due to allegations of crime, fraud and begging. Earlier, the UAE had made it mandatory for Pakistani visa applicants to submit police character certificates. Apart from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Gulf countries have indefinitely banned the issuance of visas to people from at least 30 different cities in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, in the last 24 hours, the Karachi airport authorities deboarded at least 35 passengers trying to travel abroad. The report further claimed that 18 such passengers were among those who got off the plane. Those who had Umrah visa. But they could not show their advance hotel booking.