Pakistan, UAE push for closer cooperation on security and visa reforms

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held high-level meetings in the United Arab Emirates this week to enhance bilateral collaboration on internal security, border control and immigration policy.

The visit included discussions on easing visa restrictions for Pakistani workers and adopting advanced policing technologies, according to Pakistan’s state-run wire service.

During his official visit, Minister Naqvi met with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The two sides discussed expanding cooperation in areas such as counter-narcotics, anti-smuggling operations, and the application of artificial intelligence to address emerging security threats.

Naqvi was welcomed with a guard of honor at the UAE Ministry of Interior and introduced to senior Emirati officials. Talks focused on streamlining the visa process for Pakistani nationals, particularly those seeking employment in the Gulf country.

“We want Pakistani citizens to be able to travel to the UAE with greater ease,” Naqvi said, calling for relaxed visa protocols. In response, Sheikh Saif assured full support in addressing these concerns.

The Pakistani minister also visited Abu Dhabi’s state-of-the-art policing and command center, where he was briefed on the city’s high-tech surveillance systems and crime prevention strategies.

He praised the Emirati model and expressed Pakistan’s interest in adopting similar tools to strengthen its own internal security.

Notable attendees at the meeting included Major General Salem Ali Al Shamsi, Major General Sheikh Mohammed bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Brigadier Engineer Hussain Ahmed, Brigadier Saeed Abdullah Al Suwaidi, as well as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UAE, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi.

Naqvi hailed the longstanding Pakistan-UAE relationship as a strategic asset and voiced Islamabad’s intent to expand cooperation across all domains, particularly public safety and welfare.