The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and several other Gulf countries have imposed an indefinite ban on granting visas to people from at least 30 different cities of Pakistan, following an alarming rise in number of cases where Pakistani nationals have been caught begging or being involved in smuggling, drug trafficking, human trafficking and other criminal offences abroad.
Gulf countries and cities, especially Dubai and Abu Dhabi, remain as the most preferred destinations for millions of Pakistani travellers and job seekers.
However, following the ban and increasing visa rejections, the already dented image of Pakistani passport – ranked fourth worst in the world for the third consecutive year – will suffer further irreparable damage.