• Minister says no proof of Pakistanis being singled out in Gulf state
• Reveals 3,494 Pakistani nationals deported between January and April, describes reports of victimisation as ‘propaganda’

ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Thursday told the Senate that around 3,494 Pakistanis had been deported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between January and April this year, but claimed there was no evidence suggesting that Pakistani nationals were being specifically targeted in the Gulf state.

Responding to a calling attention notice moved by upper house opposition leader Raja Nasir Abbas, Samina Mumtaz Zehri and Azam Swati on the issue, the minister said those deported included individuals involved in various criminal cases, while some had been sent back under administrative actions taken by the UAE authorities.

These deportations, he continued, could not be linked to any discriminatory policy against Pakistani nationals, noting that over two million Pakistanis were residing in the UAE.

He said the UAE was a sovereign country and had its own rules under which it had taken certain administrative measures following the Iran-US conflict.

The minister described reports about Pakistanis’ victimisation in the UAE as “mala fide propaganda”.

Earlier, Raja Nasir Abbas raised the issue, claiming that many Pakistanis had been deported from the UAE and that their assets and money were still lying in banks. He further maintained that Pakistanis were being victimised in the Gulf state and many of them had been put in jail.

He claimed to have a list of some 2,000 Pakis­tanis who had allegedly been deported forcibly.

Senator Sherry Rehman, who was presiding over the sitting, referred the matter to the standing committee on foreign affairs. Terming it a “sensitive matter”, she suggested taking up the issue in an in-camera meeting.

In response to a question, the Senate was informed through a written reply that the federal government had paid more than Rs6 billion to the print and electronic media for publishing and broadcasting advertisements between 2022 and 2025.

Giving a breakdown, the minister informed the House that the print media had been paid over Rs385 million, whereas the electronic media had received over Rs5.66bn during the period.

Senators belonging to the PTI protested over the government’s refusal to allow family members and elected representatives to meet jailed party founder Imran Khan. They also protested against the government’s move to block KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s entry into Islamabad.

The parliamentary affairs minister said the government had no intention of denying anyone entry into Islamabad. However, he said certain security arrangements and precautionary measures had become necessary during protests.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2026