Kuwait lifted a 19 -year -old visa ban on Pakistani citizens and resumed the issuance of a wide range of visas to Pakistani citizens, the government said on Tuesday.
The country had stopped issuing visas in 2011 to the citizens of Pakistan, Iran, Syria and Afghanistan, citing difficult security conditions in countries. Since then, Pakistan made several attempts to restore visas for Pakistani citizens, but it was in vain. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, during his visit to Kuwait in 2017, had also declared the case of Pakistan and requested the restoration of visas for Pakistani citizens.
In May 2021, Kuwait decided to resume the concession of visas to Pakistani families and entrepreneurs. It was also decided during the meeting that Kuwait would issue technical visas for Pakistani workers in medical and oil fields.
According to a publication about the Government, Kuwait has now resumed the issuance of labor, family, visit, tourists and business visas, which he called “a great diplomatic achievement and a step towards deeper bilateral cooperation.”
The Pakistan ambassador to Kuwait, Dr. Zaffar Iqbal, also issued a statement on the resumption of visas, saying: “The members of the community have already begun to receive approval, marking a positive step,” he said.
Separately, the ambassador revealed that Pakistan and Kuwait are in the advanced stages of finishing a new labor memorandum of understanding (Mou).
Pakistan established diplomatic relations with Kuwait in October 1963. Since then, the two countries have maintained cordial relations and have cooperated in several international forums, including the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Financial Action Task Force, among others. According to estimates of the Kuwaiti government, the Emirate houses around 95,000 Pakistani nationals.
