By Karachi — July 8, 2025
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday acknowledged the growing frustration among Pakistanis over visa rejections from Gulf countries, particularly the United Arab Emirates, but expressed confidence that a breakthrough was on the horizon.
Speaking at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Naqvi said he would personally raise the matter with UAE authorities during a meeting scheduled for July 9.
“Visa rejections from the UAE have become a major concern for our people and businesses. I’m hopeful that my upcoming meeting with their interior minister will bring positive results,” Naqvi told the business community.
‘Green Passport to Be a Source of Pride’
Touching on broader immigration and international travel issues, the interior minister said the government was actively working to improve the global standing of Pakistan’s passport.
“We are proud of our green passport. With ongoing reforms and better international cooperation, we expect its global ranking to rise significantly in the near future,” he said.
Karachi’s Well-Being Tied to National Prosperity
Naqvi also emphasized the importance of Karachi, calling it the economic heartbeat of Pakistan.
“If Karachi thrives, Pakistan thrives,” he stated, promising increased federal support to tackle the city’s growing challenges — especially crime, smuggling, and urban infrastructure shortcomings.
He revealed plans to collaborate with NADRA on integrating criminal records with national identity cards — a move aimed at strengthening law enforcement and tracking repeat offenders. He also announced that the much-anticipated Safe City project in Karachi is set to launch soon, following the success of similar initiatives in other cities.
Smuggling, Security, and Resource Challenges
While acknowledging that smuggling remains a persistent issue, Naqvi pointed to resource constraints:
“We had only six coast guard boats to cover over 1,000 kilometers of coastline. Two more have recently been added, and we’re committed to further strengthening maritime security.”
He admitted that water supply planning in major urban centers had been lacking but said new efforts were underway to address the issue more effectively.
Balancing Rights and Economic Goals
Responding to questions about labour protests, Naqvi affirmed that peaceful demonstrations are a fundamental right in any democracy. However, he stressed that boosting the national economy was the government’s top priority.
“We need to ensure stability for growth. Our economic revival plan depends on a secure, cooperative environment,” he added.
Muharram Security, Currency Stabilization in Focus
The interior minister praised the peaceful observance of the first ten days of Muharram across the country, crediting the close coordination between the federal and provincial governments.
“We managed to avoid unnecessary mobile service suspensions and kept citizens informed and at ease,” he said.
Wrapping up his address, Naqvi assured the business community that action was being taken to curb black-market trading of the U.S. dollar.
“Our focus is to stabilize the rupee and protect the economy from speculation and illegal transactions,” he concluded.
