The Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki, has announcedthat there is no change in the visa policy for Pakistani nationalstraveling to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

While speaking to the media, Al-Malki said that Pakistanis are not beingasked to leave KSA unless they do not have valid documents. The governmentof KSA is conducting an operation against illegal immigrants of allnationalities in the kingdom and this decision is not exclusive toPakistan, he said.——————————

The ambassador clarified, “People holding iqamas and valid visas are notbeing asked to leave”.

Meanwhile, 1,500 Pakistanis who had been residing illegally in KSA havebeen deported. Concerns about the deportation of Pakistanis from KSAincreased after the UAE suspended the issuing of new visas to the citizensof Pakistan and twelve other countries.——————————

On a separate note, the Saudi Ambassador spoke with Foreign Minister ShahMahmood Qureshi, and the latter reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to continuepromoting and diversifying bilateral cooperation.

He said that both the countries have strong historical ties, thus they needto avail of opportunities and enhance cooperation in various fields.