Daily Times

The United Arab Emirates has temporarily suspended the issuance of visit visas to a dozen countries, including Pakistan, until further notice, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said on Wednesday.

The decision by the UAE authorities is ‘believed to be related to the second wave of Covid-19’, Chaudhri said in a statement. “We are seeking official confirmation from the concerned UAE authorities in this regard,” he said, and clarified that the suspension will not apply to visas that have already been issued.

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. The decision had come after around 30 Pakistanis who arrived in Hong Kong onboard an Emirates flight tested positive for the virus. The airline resumed its flights in July. In August, Kuwait’s aviation banned commercial flights to 31 countries, including Pakistan, regarded as ‘high risk’ due to the spread of the coronavirus The number of infections has been rising in Pakistan since late last month and authorities have declared that the country was witnessing the second wave of Covid-19. For the past six days, Pakistan has recorded more than 2,000 daily cases of the novel coronavirus and officials have warned that the positivity rate of the disease has increased, especially in major cities including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Hyderabad etc. On Monday, Prime Minister Imran Khan had urged the people to “act as a nation” in order to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. The premier had announced new restrictions on public events, including the suspension of his party’s political rallies, and stressed the implementation of mask-wearing and social distancing to control the spread of the virus.