Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE, Shafqat Ali Khan, on Friday denied reports claiming the UAE had stopped issuing 96- and 48-hour transit visas to Pakistanis. "It’s not true," he said responding to questions from Dawn. These transit visas are sponsored by UAE-based airlines Emirates and Etihad Airways and must be approved before travel, as per UAE government guidelines. The UAE website states that if travellers from Pakistan do not qualify for visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry and want to leave the airport, they must secure a pre-arranged transit visa. Despite official statements, some social media users shared screenshots warning that these transit visas for Pakistan nationals were temporarily suspended. Over the past year, Pakistanis have faced challenges obtaining visas for the UAE. In January 2025, concerns were raised about Pakistanis on visit visas begging, though work visas remained unaffected. In April, the UAE ambassador confirmed the resolution of visa issues and availability of a five-year visa. Visa refusals reported in July led to UAE assuring full support for Pakistani visa processing. In November 2025, despite reports claiming the UAE wasn’t issuing visas to Pakistanis, the UAE ambassador highlighted new visa facilitation reforms including online processing and e-visas. Recently, Pakistan and the UAE agreed to work on "pre-immigration clearance" allowing Pakistani travellers to complete immigration procedures before flying, speeding up arrivals in the UAE.