Kuwait agrees to lift bar on visas for Pakistanis [Post #46]

[12cavalry]

A while back Kuwaiti authorities had banned visas for Pakistanis.
Can anyone tell me whats the situation now, have they started issuing visas or not?

thanks

 

[akhrot]

why would they do this to a fellow muslim country?

 

[Looney]

yaar akhrot wali baataiN na karo

i am sure they still apply OP

 

[akhrot]

why did they ban Pakistanis?

 

[12cavalry]

Immigration laws: Kuwait bans visas for Pakistani, Afghan nationals

KUWAIT:Kuwait has banned nationals from five countries, including Pakistan, from entering the Gulf country, according to immigration sources quoted by Kuwaiti media.
The ban, imposed on nationals from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, includes suspending all tourism, visit and trade visas as well as visas sponsored by spouses, Kuwaiti media reported.
The ban was attributed to the “difficult security conditions in the five countries” and to “the remarkably increasing tendency of nationals from the five countries to apply for visas to bring in relatives who faced or could face arrest by local authorities,” said the reports.
The sources said the authorities insisted that no exception in the visa application will be welcomed.
However, they also mentioned that the ban was temporary and would be lifted once the security situation was stabilised.
Pakistan has come under intense international pressure after a unilateral operation by the US on May 2, in which the world’s most wanted man Osama bin Laden was killed. Bin Laden was found hiding a stone’s throw from Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, in the garrison town of Abbottabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2011.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/173758/kuwait-bans-visa-issuance-to-pakistan-and-four-other-countries/

 

[Looney]

lol these Arabs are so anti-Shia )

 

[zindagi]

The difference between a jewish state and an islamic state.

The jewish state guarantees citizenship to any Jew in any part of the world in this life .

An islamic state guarantees citizenship to any Muslim in any part of the world to the mythological state of heaven after you die.

 

[pakistani_banda]

The difference between a jewish state and an islamic state.

The jewish state guarantees citizenship to any Jew in any part of the world in this life .

An islamic state guarantees citizenship to any Muslim in any part of the world to the mythological state of heaven after you die.

we will ask you about this when you die, which do you prefer whether a citizenship in the world or in the heaven.

do not forget that this world will end, and is only temporary, while the next life is eternal never ending.

 

[LongHorn]

Its funny, I have a US visa, I have visited half the world, but when i wanted to visit Kuwait, I was told I could enter !
Apparently Indians are given visas with little hassle as well...

 

[Looney]

we will ask you about this when you die, which do you prefer whether a citizenship in the world or in the heaven.

do not forget that this world will end, and is only temporary, while the next life is eternal never ending.

he was just talking about the nonexistent brotherhood of Muslim countries

 

[spinDoc]

Imagine if uk or usa banned visa to pakistanis we will cry discrimmination

 

[Gabbar Singh]

Did Pakistan reciprocate and ban Kuwaitis?

 

[zindagi]

Did Pakistan reciprocate and ban Kuwaitis?

Excellent point.

 

[velu]

lol these Arabs are so anti-Shia )

but i guess pak is sunni muslim country ??

 

[zindagi]

do not forget that this world will end, and is only temporary, while the next life is eternal never ending.

Proof?
Link?

What if this fear of an eternal afterlife in human beings has been exploited by con-artists to serve their interests?
It's easy, let me sell you a product/idea which will give you an eternal afterlife in heaven.

Of course, what the con-artists get in return is not necessarily money but attention, love, fame, (even women, small boys or small girls depending on their preferences )

 

[Looney]

but i guess pak is sunni muslim country ??

yes but a large Shia population with prominent Shia leaders including the founder .

but they are banning anyone the Americans do not approve of .

 

[PakPrince]

The difference between a jewish state and an islamic state.

The jewish state guarantees citizenship to any Jew in any part of the world in this life .

An islamic state guarantees citizenship to any Muslim in any part of the world to the mythological state of heaven after you die.

yo i see your posts are evry anti islam.

are u part of shiv sena?

afterall you actually believe that taj mahal was a hindu temple built by your people )

 

[Looney]

Did Pakistan reciprocate and ban Kuwaitis?

they should

 

[Wasim1]

Umm..because they are arab and us Pakistanis are lesser people to them... Seriously people need to wake up and realize there is no great islamic brotherhood like we wish to fantasize.

 

[Wasim1]

Why should they retaliate...the country needs a ton of FDI.

 

[akheR]

^+1

 

[lonex]

Umm..because they are arab and us Pakistanis are lesser people to them... Seriously people need to wake up and realize there is no great islamic brotherhood like we wish to fantasize.

We are probably the only country which is living in this dream of brotherhood for everyone. We should wake up and start building our selves rather than shouting slogans for others.

When we are in any position to have a say on others, we could restart our brotherhood for other Islamic countries. For the moment we should just work on what is best for Pak.

 

[akheR]

Again +1
In fact, I'm for reversing the national historical discourse; we should see ourselves as part of the cultural entity called the Indus civilization, and Islam as a religious option to the citizens of Pakistan, not a 'Ummah' embracing project.

 

[zindagi]

yo i see your posts are evry anti islam.

are u part of shiv sena?

afterall you actually believe that taj mahal was a hindu temple built by your people )

I criticize what I think is wrong.

No, not a part of any sena.

And, I do think there is a strong case for the argument that Taj Mahal pre-existed centuries ago before Shah Jahan.

 

[Wasim1]

I criticize what I think is wrong.

No, not a part of any sena.

And, I do think there is a strong case for the argument that Taj Mahal pre-existed centuries ago before Shah Jahan.

Youre kidding right?

 

[zindagi]

Youre kidding right?

No I am not kidding.

P.S. Look at this thread for my posts on pre-existence of taj mahal in this thread.
http://pakpassion.net/ppforum/showthread.php?t=44734

 

[UmarAkmals-fan]

I criticize what I think is wrong.

No, not a part of any sena.

And, I do think there is a strong case for the argument that Taj Mahal pre-existed centuries ago before Shah Jahan.

i think uve been drinking too much "holy drink" lately

 

[lonex]

Just as we talked i saw two prime examples of brotherhood today.

1) Bangladesh bans EU help for Pakistan
http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/09/bangladesh-blocks-eu-help-for-flood-affected-pakistan.html

2) Iran bans PIA to go through its airspace because of no payments.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/289032/iran-makes-airspace-off-limits-to-pia-over-payment-backlog/

 

[lonex]

Again +1
In fact, I'm for reversing the national historical discourse; we should see ourselves as part of the cultural entity called the Indus civilization, and Islam as a religious option to the citizens of Pakistan, not a 'Ummah' embracing project.

Totally in agreement with you...

 

[spinDoc]

Just as we talked i saw two prime examples of brotherhood today.

1) Bangladesh bans EU help for Pakistan
http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/09/bangladesh-blocks-eu-help-for-flood-affected-pakistan.html

2) Iran bans PIA to go through its airspace because of no payments.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/289032/iran-makes-airspace-off-limits-to-pia-over-payment-backlog/

Only pakiatanis are emotional about "brotherhood" no one esle give a ****. When a muslim egyptian in killed in europe we burns tyres and break property in karachi but when a pakistani is killed there are no demonstration in any muslim country.

 

[akheR]

^Right, hope we hear more of these opinions from Pakistanis.

 

[WithLoveFromCanada]

Arabs are one arrogant people. Man, even on the domestic level when you interact with an arab here, they will give you a feeling that you're a lesser muslim / human being. With all the looks its still tough to get an arab gf. The same arab girl would go out with a random black afro arab weirdo cuz he's an arab and you're not!

 

[akheR]

They've been part of big civilizations, that's why they're rightly arrogant.

 

[velu]

Arabs are one arrogant people. Man, even on the domestic level when you interact with an arab here, they will give you a feeling that you're a lesser muslim / human being. With all the looks its still tough to get an arab gf. The same arab girl would go out with a random black afro arab weirdo cuz he's an arab and you're not!

well my sources told that arab girls are more like manly.
so WLFC you didn't lose anything significantly )

 

[zindagi]

They've been part of big civilizations, that's why they're rightly arrogant.

Except the ancient egyptian civilization which built the pyramids, I can't think of any.

 

[akheR]

^I was basically sarcastic.

 

[WithLoveFromCanada]

well my sources told that arab girls are more like manly.
so WLFC you didn't lose anything significantly )

nopes, I didnt thank God. :

 

[akheR]

Hope we get an Atatürk one day.

 

[velu]

^I was basically sarcastic.

In the middle ages arabs were far more civilized than Europeans.
Read little bit about Saladin ( and played his campaign in AOE ) , and he was one of the emperors with bigger heart.

 

[akheR]

^Saladin was a Kurd.
99% of the scientists, scholars, poets (Rumi, Ibn Sina, ...) were from Central Asia/Persia/Afghanistan. And the scientists who were 'Arabs', we're never sure of that (like ibn al Haytham), lol.
Hell, even the man who codified Arabic grammar was a Persian. Ibn Khaldun, an Arab himself, about this fact:

Thus the founders of grammar were Sibawaih and after him, al-Farisi and Az-Zajjaj. All of them were of non-Arab (Persian) descent... They invented rules of (Arabic) grammar...great jurists were Persians... only the Persians engaged in the task of preserving knowledge and writing systematic scholarly works. Thus the truth of the statement of the prophet becomes apparent, "If learning were suspended in the highest parts of heaven the Persians would attain it"... The intellectual sciences were also the preserve of the Persians, left alone by the Arabs, who did not cultivate them... as was the case with all crafts... This situation continued in the cities as long as the Persians and Persian countries, Iraq, Khorasan and Transoxiana, retained their sedentary culture.

 

[PakPrince]

Hope we get an Atatürk one day.

mullahs term his as an enemy of Islam

 

[akhrot]

boycott Kuwait!

 

[zindagi]

Hope we get an Atatürk one day.

+1
I hope and pray that it happens for Pakistan.

( I don't know who to pray though if this Universe is completely deterministic )

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2289950/kuwait-to-lift-visa-ban-says-govt-on-eve-of-fms-visit

Kuwait will lift a ban on work visas for Pakistan, announced Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Wednesday as the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister begins his two-day official trip to Islamabad from Thursday.

Kuwait had banned work visas for Pakistan in 2011 and despite attempts by previous governments the restrictions could not be lifted. In March 2017, the then government had also announced the lifting of the ban by Kuwait during the visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to the oil-rich country. However, the decision was never implemented.

According to the interior minister, Kuwait would start issuing work visas to Pakistanis once the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

The formal announcement, sources said, is expected during the visit of Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah, who would be visiting Pakistan on March 18-19.

He will be accompanied by a delegation comprising senior officials from the Kuwaiti Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, Interior, and Trade and Industry, said a foreign office statement.

The statement said the visit of the Kuwaiti foreign minister comes in the backdrop of the bilateral meeting held with Foreign Minister Qureshi on the sidelines of the 47th Session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers in Niamey, Niger, in November 2020. The two foreign ministers agreed to work closely towards further strengthening and expanding bilateral cooperation in diverse fields.

To follow-up on the two Foreign Ministers’ understanding, Kuwait’s Assistant Foreign Minister for Asian Affairs visited Pakistan in January 2021 and held consultations in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development and Economic Affairs Division, as well as the Board of Investment.

During the visit, besides having wide-ranging talks with Foreign Minister Qureshi, the Kuwaiti foreign minister will call on other dignitaries.

“Pakistan accords high importance to its fraternal ties with Kuwait, which are firmly rooted in shared faith and values. The bilateral relationship is marked by high-level visits and growing cooperation across myriad fields. During the global pandemic, the two countries collaborated closely in the health sector and food security,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafiz Chaudhri said in the statement.

He said Pakistan acknowledged the positive role of the Kuwaiti leadership in building bridges among the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Pakistan also stands in solidarity with the State of Kuwait in the efforts to strengthen unity among Muslim countries.

The visit of the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister will provide further impetus to the positive momentum in bilateral exchanges and deepening mutual cooperation, he added.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1613273/kuwait-seeks-stronger-ties-with-pakistan-minister

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Nasser Al-Sabah on Thursday said that his country was committed to developing stronger relations with Pakistan.

During a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Kuwaiti foreign minister identified education, economy, trade and investment, and people-to-people linkages as priority areas in which his country intended to intensify cooperation with Pakistan.

Dr Al-Sabah also underscored the need to further strengthen the institutional frameworks of bilateral cooperation.

The prime minister hailed efforts for building an enhanced partnership between the two countries. He underscored the imperative of forging deeper economic, trade and investment cooperation.

The two sides had at the third round of bilateral political consultations held in January this year agreed on broadening their ties, especially through enhancing cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, manpower export and food security.

Dr Al-Sabah also met Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi at the Foreign Office.

During the meeting, the FO said, the foreign ministers reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations, including cooperation in political, economic, defence, trade and investment sectors, and manpower export, and discussed ways to enhance people-to-people linkages between the two countries.

Mr Qureshi reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to further strengthening and diversifying bilateral cooperation with Kuwait in all fields.

“The resolve to continue close collaboration in multilateral fora, in particular the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, was reaffirmed,” the FO said.

Mr Qureshi mentioned Pakistan’s shifting focus to geo-economics with emphasis on peace, development and connectivity.

The two sides agreed to convene the 5th Session of the Joint Ministerial Commission at the earliest.

During the meeting, Mr Qureshi called for easing visa curbs for Pakistanis by Kuwait. This, he said, would provide impetus to bilateral trade.

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: After a decade-long suspension, Kuwait on Sunday decided to resume granting visas to Pakistani families and businessmen.

The Kuwaiti government took the decision during a meeting between Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah and Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in Kuwait City.

During the meeting it was also decided that Kuwait would issue technical visas for Pakistani workers in medical and oil fields.

The interior minister, who is on an official visit to Kuwait, handed over a special letter of Prime Minister Imran Khan to his Kuwaiti counterpart.

Following the meeting, the ministry of interior issued a press release which said that Kuwait had decided immediate restoration of family and business visas for Pakistanis.

It said that Pakistani workers would also get Kuwait’s visas according to the agreement.

The statement said that the meeting, which was also attended by Kuwaiti Interior Minister Thamer Ali Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah and Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kuwait Syed Sajjad Haider, discussed bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest.

Kuwait had stopped issuing visas to citizens of Pakistan, Iran, Syria and Afghanistan in 2011, while citing difficult security conditions in these countries. Since then Pakistan made several attempts to get restoration of visas for Pakistani citizens but to no avail. Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif during his visit to Kuwait in 2017 had also pleaded Pakistan’s case and requested for restoration of visas for Pakistani citizens.

The press release said that now Pakistani nationals settled in Gulf countries could also get online visas to visit Kuwait.

The press release quoted the Kuwaiti prime minister as saying that relation between the two countries spanned over seven decades and people of the countries had been enjoying relations based on love and trust.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid, while thanking Kuwaiti prime minister, said that after the decision of restoration of visas for Pakistani citizens, huge job opportunities would be available for Pakistani citizens in Kuwait.

The minister said that Pakistani families and business fraternity faced enormous problems with the ban on Kuwaiti visa, adding that Pakistani labourers played an important role in Kuwait’s early development.

He said that all Pakistani considered Kuwait as their second home, adding that with lifting of ban on business visa, trade would also increase between the two countries.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2021

 

[King-Misbah]

Another victory for PTI government! Good news after good news alhamdullilah. PP blued eyed boy is missing these days.

 

[Bi_Jamalo]

Kiya waqt aa gaya ha k lifting a ban on us is a cause for celebration!

We do need some dose of self respect and dignity.

 

[MenInG]

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan has imposed restrictions on the flight operation of Kuwaiti-designated airlines from October 1.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has repeatedly requested the Kuwait’s Civil Aviation Authority to allow Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to resume its flights to and from Kuwait which were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but to no avail.

Now the CAA has restricted the operation of one flight each of Kuwaiti-designated airlines.

Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways have been operating flights since last month.

The CAA wrote to the director general of Civil Aviation Kuwait on Monday, saying: “While our national carrier has been vehemently pursuing operating flights to and from Kuwait, approval for the same has not been granted by Kuwaiti CAA.”

It said the Kuwaiti authorities may approve the requested flight operation of PIA to and from Kuwait, especially against the backdrop of the utmost facilitation that has been extended to Kuwaiti airlines despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, in the absence of the solicited approval till date, the spirit of commercial reciprocity regarding commercial flight operations between the two states are to be reassessed, the CAA said.

It said pending any further non-approval of PIA flight operations to and from Kuwait in the spirit of commercial reciprocity, the CAA be constrained to initiate similar action for Kuwaiti designated airlines’ flight operations to and from Pakistan with effect from Oct 1 by restricting operation of one flight each of Kuwaiti designated airlines.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2021

 

[MenInG]

RAWALPINDI: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has decided to restrict one flight each of the two designated airlines of Kuwait following the kingdom’s continuous ban on the operations of Pakistan’s national carrier.

A spokesman for the CAA said the weekly three flights each of Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways to and from Pakistan have been restricted to two flights each with effect from Oct 1.“One of the weekly flights of Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways has been canceled from October 1,” a CAA spokesperson said.

Approval of PIA flight operations from Kuwait is conditional on the terms of the air services agreement between Pakistan and Kuwait, he said.

The CAA will be forced to initiate further regulatory action if Kuwait does not allow the PIA to operate flights.

The CAA had earlier said pending any further non-approval of PIA flights operations to and from Kuwait in the spirit of commercial reciprocity, it would be constrained to initiate similar action for Kuwaiti designated airlines’ flight operations to and from Pakistan from Oct 1.

The CAA had written to the director general of Civil Aviation Kuwait about a week ago and said: “While our national air carrier has been vehemently pursuing operating flights to and from Kuwait, approval for the same has not been granted by Kuwaiti CAA.”

The CAA had said the Kuwaiti authorities may approve the requested flight operation of PIA to and from Kuwait, especially in the backdrop of the utmost facilitation that has been extended by CAA to Kuwait designated airlines despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“However, in the absence of the solicited approval till date, the spirit of commercial reciprocity regarding commercial flight operations between the two states are to be reassessed,” the CAA said.Meanwhile, the CAA has allowed serving of in-flight meals and refreshments on domestic flights.

However, airline operators will continue to ensure wearing of face masks by passengers on all domestic flights except when meals are being served.The CAA had imposed a ban on serving meals during domestic flights due to the increasing number of coronavirus cases last year.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2021