Tallal Chaudhry says Pakistan-UAE ties 'absolutely fine'

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry told the National Assembly on Thursday that Pakistan’s relations with the United Arab Emirates remain stable, rejecting suggestions that recent deportations of Pakistanis from the Gulf state reflected any deterioration in bilateral ties.

Speaking on the floor of the house, Chaudhry responded to concerns raised by lawmakers over reports about Pakistanis being sent back from the UAE. He said the government had already denied claims that deportations were being carried out on sectarian grounds, particularly against Shia workers. “I don’t know why people are intent on building a narrative against a country; that people from there are being deported based on sectarian differences,” the minister said, adding that “there is no such thing. The government has categorically denied this. Our ties with the UAE are absolutely fine.”

He said caution was needed before drawing conclusions about friendly countries, warning that such narratives could affect future relations. Chaudhry also said that if any complaints existed, the government would take them up, while stressing that Pakistan viewed citizens of “all sects and colours” equally.

The minister further noted that, for the current month, Saudi Arabia had sent the highest volume of remittances to Pakistan, followed by the UAE. He cited this as part of his broader argument that ties with the Emirates remained intact.

Questions over emergency travel documents

The issue of Pakistanis returning from the UAE had also come up earlier this month during the Foreign Office’s weekly media briefing. On May 7, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi was asked about what was described as an “unusually high number” of emergency travel documents, also known as ETDs or outpasses, being issued by the Pakistani consulate in the UAE.

In response, Andrabi said the increase was “mainly driven by administrative actions, including immigration status violation and other legal infractions”.

Recent reports in sections of the media had claimed that the UAE had launched a “large-scale expulsion” of Pakistani workers and suggested that the move pointed to a shift in ties between Islamabad and Abu Dhabi. The Interior Ministry, however, has denied those claims, and Chaudhry reiterated that position in parliament.

His remarks came as lawmakers sought clarification over the status of Pakistanis being deported or issued emergency documents in the UAE. In his address, the minister maintained that the matter should not be framed in a way that could harm Pakistan’s relations with another country, while also assuring the house that any legitimate grievances would be addressed by the government.

The statement marks the government’s latest public response to concerns over the treatment of Pakistani nationals in the UAE, with both the Interior Ministry and the Foreign Office linking the issue to administrative and legal matters rather than any broader diplomatic problem.