Opposition raises alarm over UAE deportations as NA refers matter to foreign affairs panel

• Opposition lawmakers claim thousands of Pakistanis deported from UAE, seek urgent govt action

• PTI’s Shehryar Afridi urges diplomatic engagement to ease Pakistan-UAE tensions

• MPs highlight role of overseas Pakistanis in sustaining remittance inflows

• House sends deportation issue to Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs

• Allegations raised over deteriorating law and order in KP and Balochistan

 ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Friday witnessed a heated and charged debate as opposition lawmakers raised concerns over the alleged deportation of thousands of Pakistanis from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), calling for urgent diplomatic engagement and policy review.

PTI-backed lawmaker Shehryar Afridi urged the government to engage mediators to improve relations between Pakistan and the UAE, alleging that certain elements were attempting to create misunderstandings between the two brotherly nations.

He said overseas Pakistanis, particularly from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other regions, were playing a vital role in strengthening the national economy through remittances from the UAE.

Criticising Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Afridi said the minister’s policies did not reflect ground realities and claimed that the law and order situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had deteriorated.

He also condemned terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and suggested engagement with pro-Pakistan elements operating across the border to address security concerns.

Afridi further urged that PTI leaders and supporters not be isolated, saying Pakistan belonged equally to all political stakeholders including PTI, PML-N, JUI-F and PPP. He also alleged that PTI founder Imran Khan and his spouse were not being provided medical treatment in accordance with jail regulations.

Another opposition lawmaker Sher Afzal Marwat questioned whether parliament possessed sufficient authority and independence to effectively legislate on public issues. He claimed that around 18,000 Pakistanis, including members of a particular sect, had been deported from the UAE and that the process was still ongoing.

PTI-supported legislator Sahibzada Sibghatullah said Pakistanis living in the UAE and other Gulf countries were facing arrests, imprisonment and deportation despite holding valid documentation. He alleged that many were subjected to harsh treatment before being deported, and urged the government to take immediate notice of the situation.

Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah, who presided over the session, referred the matter to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs for detailed deliberation.

 Meanwhile, responding to a calling attention notice moved by JUI-F lawmakers, Parliamentary Secretary for Petroleum Division Mian Khan Bugti said the government had considered IMF conditions while revising petroleum prices.

He said no GST was being imposed on petroleum products and that efforts were underway to provide relief to consumers, including subsidies for motorcyclists using petrol. He added that petrol prices had recently been increased by Rs15 per litre.

Responding to concerns raised by lawmaker Usman Badini, the parliamentary secretary said areas near the Pakistan-Iran border were not facing fuel shortages or major pricing issues due to proximity to Iran.

However, Badini criticised the government for repeated fuel price hikes while restricting the import of Iranian petrol, which he claimed was available at around Rs100 per litre, expressing dissatisfaction with the official response.