United Arab Emirates (UAE) has stopped issuing visa to the nationals of Pakistan, Afghanistan and eleven other Muslim countries report Reuters. Even though Islamabad claims that the ban is in effect due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, sources claim that security reasons are behind the travel ban.
The ban also applies to the citizens of Turkey, Tunisia, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Algeria, Kenya, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Libya. Sources also said that the ban is of shorter duration.
UAE has been a trusted ally of Pakistan all these times, but denying entry to its citizens shows the changing dynamics of geopolitics in the region. With UAE signing a peace deal with Israel, the emerging Iran-Turkey-Pakistan axis is a reason to worry in the Gulf region. Afghanistan is also a reason to worry. Even after the Afghan government- Taliban peace talks progressing, there are severe terror attacks taking place in the land-locked country.
The travel ban comes at a time when Islamic fundamentalism is a global topic of discussion following the terror attack in the Nice city in France and the counter-measures France take to control the Jihadi elements operating inside their territory.
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