Saba, Soha reveal why they missed Saif’s first wedding

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has resumed issuing visit visas to Pakistani citizens applying through registered travel agents, ending months of uncertainty for travelers and offering fresh hope to families, tourists and business visitors. The move has been confirmed by travel industry representatives and a UAE Embassy official, who said visit visas for holders of ordinary Pakistani passports are once again being processed through authorized travel agencies. The resumption comes after months of delays, stricter scrutiny and a higher rejection rate that had created difficulties for thousands of Pakistani applicants. Although UAE authorities repeatedly maintained that no blanket ban had been imposed on Pakistani nationals, many travelers experienced lengthy processing times and uncertainty over visa approvals. Travel experts say the biggest improvement has been seen in family applications. Pakistani citizens traveling with family members or visiting relatives in the UAE are reportedly receiving faster responses than before, reflecting a more streamlined processing system. Officials from the travel industry also noted that tourism-related bookings have started to recover as confidence returns. Passenger traffic between Pakistan and Dubai, which had dropped significantly during recent regional tensions and stricter visa checks, has begun to increase in recent weeks, although it remains below previous peak levels. Applicants seeking a UAE visit visa are advised to apply only through registered travel agents and ensure all required documents are complete. A valid passport, recent photographs, proof of accommodation or an invitation from a host, return travel arrangements and evidence of sufficient financial resources are among the documents generally required for processing. Industry representatives believe applicants with complete and genuine documentation are more likely to receive approvals, while family applications currently appear to have stronger prospects.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will travel to Jordan to participate in a ministerial meeting focused on the worsening situation in occupied Jerusalem, reaffirming Pakistan’s diplomatic support for the Palestinian cause. According to the Foreign Office, the meeting, scheduled for August 5, will bring together foreign ministers from Arab League member states and several Islamic countries to discuss recent developments in Jerusalem and coordinate a unified response to the evolving situation. The Foreign Office said Dar is attending the meeting at the invitation of Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. During the visit, participating foreign ministers are also expected to meet Abdullah II to discuss regional developments and ongoing efforts aimed at addressing the challenges facing the Palestinian people. On the sidelines of the conference, Ishaq Dar is expected to hold bilateral meetings with several foreign ministers to exchange views on regional issues, including the humanitarian situation in Palestine and broader Middle East developments. The Foreign Office described Pakistan’s participation as a reflection of its longstanding and principled support for the Palestinian people. It reiterated Pakistan’s position in favor of an independent, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem (Al-Quds Al-Sharif) as its capital. Pakistan has consistently condemned actions that it says threaten the historical and legal status of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, including repeated incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has warned the government that his party could expand its ongoing protests into a nationwide wheel-jam and shutter-down strike if the petroleum levy is not abolished. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday, Rehman said the nationwide strike could begin after August 26, following 12th Rabiul Awwal. He said the party would also establish protest camps in different parts of the country as part of its campaign. If the government failed to respond to its demands, he warned that JI could consider marching towards Islamabad on foot. The JI chief said he would address the party’s sit-in in Lahore, while a public gathering was scheduled at its Karachi protest site on Friday. Rehman said rising inflation had placed a heavy burden on ordinary citizens. He criticised the petroleum levy, describing it as an unfair additional charge on consumers. According to him, consumers were paying around Rs80 per litre under the levy. He claimed the charge was originally introduced to support the modernisation of Pakistan’s oil refineries but that the government had collected more than Rs8 trillion through it while spending less than Rs100 billion on refinery upgrades. He called for the immediate abolition of the levy and urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to reduce petrol and diesel prices by Rs130 per litre. The government recently revised fuel prices, reducing the price of high-speed diesel while increasing the price of petrol. Rehman said the JI’s protests in Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar were gaining support from traders, religious scholars, young people and members of civil society. He said the demonstrations had grown beyond the petroleum levy issue and were now highlighting broader public concerns. He said JI would not attend government briefings as part of negotiations. Instead, he demanded that government representatives visit the protesters and engage with them directly. The JI leader also referred to the party’s previous campaign against independent power producers. He claimed that negotiations following that protest resulted in the closure of several power projects and new agreements that saved the national exchequer Rs3.36 trillion. He called for a review of the remaining independent power producers, arguing that negotiations could help bring down electricity costs within 12 to 18 months. Rehman also criticised the government over the country’s growing debt, taxes and electricity prices. He claimed Pakistan’s total debt had reached Rs98 trillion and urged authorities to reduce reliance on interest-based financing. He called for greater austerity in government spending and suggested limiting official vehicles to engines of up to 1,300cc. The JI emir also criticised what he described as excessive privileges for the political elite while ordinary citizens continued to face rising living costs and taxes. On provincial matters, Rehman accused successive governments in Sindh and Punjab of failing to resolve major economic and social problems. He also criticised Punjab’s education policy and raised concerns over the outsourcing of thousands of schools.