Senate Debate Focuses on Deportations and Allegations of Discrimination
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry informed the Senate on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates deported approximately 3,494 Pakistani nationals between January and April this year, while rejecting claims that authorities specifically targeted Pakistanis.
Responding to a calling attention notice submitted by opposition members Raja Nasir Abbas, Samina Mumtaz Zehri, and Azam Swati, the minister said the deported individuals included people involved in criminal cases as well as those affected by administrative actions implemented by UAE authorities.
He stressed that the deportations did not indicate discriminatory treatment toward Pakistani citizens. Furthermore, he pointed out that more than two million Pakistanis currently reside in the UAE.
According to the minister, the UAE exercised administrative decisions under its own legal framework following developments related to the Iran-US conflict. He also described reports alleging systematic victimisation of Pakistanis in the Gulf country as “mala fide propaganda.”
Earlier during the session, Raja Nasir Abbas claimed that many deported Pakistanis still had financial assets and funds remaining in UAE banks. He further alleged that several Pakistanis had faced imprisonment and unfair treatment.
Abbas also stated that he possessed a list containing around 2,000 Pakistanis who were allegedly deported forcibly.
Senators Raise Additional Issues During Session
Meanwhile, Senator Sherry Rehman, who chaired the sitting, referred the matter to the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and suggested discussing the issue through an in-camera session because of its sensitivity.
Separately, the Senate received written information showing that the federal government paid more than Rs6 billion to print and electronic media between 2022 and 2025 for advertisements.
Additionally, PTI lawmakers protested restrictions related to meetings with jailed party founder Imran Khan and raised concerns over security measures affecting political activities in Islamabad.
