Islamabad, Nov. 28 -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) consul general in Karachi has rejected claims that the Gulf nation has stopped issuing visas to Pakistani citizens, saying all categories remain open despite a surge in applications.

In a interview with Geo News, Bakheet Ateeq Alremeithi said rumours of a visa suspension were "completely false". He noted that the consulate was facing its highest volume of applicants in three years, which had extended appointment wait times but had not halted processing.

His remarks came on Thursday, November 27, after Additional Interior Secretary Salman Chaudhry told the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights that the UAE was not issuing visas to Pakistanis.

According to Dawn, the official brie...