Overview
- Talal Chaudhry told the National Assembly on Thursday that relations with the UAE are “absolutely fine” and he denied any sectarian-based deportations.
- Opposition lawmakers alleged thousands of expulsions, with one claiming about 18,000, and the Deputy Speaker sent the issue to the Foreign Affairs committee for scrutiny.
- The Interior Ministry had already called the deportation stories “mala fide” propaganda, and Chaudhry pointed to new entry for official and diplomatic passport holders as proof of ongoing cooperation.
- The New York Times reported interviews with Pakistani Shias who said workers were removed and linked the actions to perceived Emirati displeasure over Pakistan’s response to Iranian strikes, a claim not independently verified.
- Officials stressed the stakes for the 1.7 million Pakistanis legally in the UAE and for remittances that support families in Pakistan, while the Foreign Office publicly rejected talk of a rift.