The Senate has referred the issue of Pakistani nationals being deported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs after lawmakers raised concerns over the treatment of citizens in the Gulf state on Thursday.
Opposition Leader Raja Nasir Abbas, alongside Senators Samina Mumtaz Zehri and Azam Swati, moved a calling attention notice regarding the matter. Abbas claimed that Pakistanis are facing victimisation in the UAE, with multiple individuals currently jailed.
He stated that he possesses a list of approximately 2,000 Pakistanis who were forcibly deported, adding that their assets and money remain blocked in UAE banks.
Responding to the notice, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry informed the house that 3,494 Pakistani nationals were deported from the UAE between January and April this year.
However, Chaudhry rejected claims of discrimination, stating there is no evidence that Pakistanis are being singled out. He clarified that the deported individuals included those involved in criminal cases and others were sent back under administrative actions.
Chaudhry stated that the UAE is a sovereign nation operating under its own legal framework, which implemented specific administrative measures following the Iran-US conflict.
He dismissed the reports of targeted victimisation as “mala fide propaganda,” noting that more than two million Pakistanis currently reside in the Gulf state.
Senator Sherry Rehman, who chaired the session, directed the matter to the foreign affairs committee, describing it as a “sensitive matter” that should be reviewed in an in-camera meeting.
