[ad_1] Last update:February 19, 2025, 23:24 ISTIndia vs Pakistan Champions Trophy: India and Pakistan will be played on 23 February in the Champions Trophy. Pakistan has lost its initiative to New Zealand, while India tourns against Bangladesh on 20 February ...Read moreThe India-Pakistan match is to be held in Dubai on 23 February. (File photo)HighlightsAll tickets for India-Pakistan match were sold in an hour.Pakistani fans are not getting Dubai visas.Pakistani fans are disappointed due to not getting a UAE visa.India vs Pakistan Champions Trophy: On February 23, Dubai is ready for a high voltage match, which will be between India and Pakistan. There is no need to tell how much the importance of this match. In the Champions Trophy, Team India will start with the match against Bangladesh on February 20, but the whole world is eyeing February 23, when India-Pakistan will fight with each other. There is so much restlessness among the people to see this match in the stadium that all its tickets were sold within an hour as soon as the ticket counter opened. But people of Pakistan, who have tickets, will now be bereft of watching the match. This is being said because they are not getting a visa of Dubai. Waqar Ahmed, who lives in Qatar, was one of the lucky Pakistani citizens who got three tickets for the India-Pakistan Champions Trophy match to be held on 23 February. Amidst the tremendous demand for online tickets, he/she was lucky that he/she got tickets as he/she was sold within an hour. The enthusiasm was at the peak and Ahmed and his/her friends immediately started preparing their visa application. The 2025 Champions Trophy was scheduled to be held in Pakistan and preparations were in full swing. From decorating the stadium to security arrangements, inauguration and closing ceremony, everything was going on according to the plan. But cricket and drama were to come together again. There were only three months left for the tournament to start, the Government of India announced that it would not allow its team to go to Pakistan. A round of uncertainty began and in December it was announced that all matches in India would be played in Dubai, which has emerged as a neutral site for India-Pakistan cricket matches in recent years. This unpredictable turn put fans like Ahmed on high alert, who were now competing with each other to get a place in the Dubai International Stadium to watch the prestigious India-Pakistan match. The joy of getting tickets soon turned into despair as Ahmed and his/her friends could not get a visa. After applying for the UAE visa on 4 February, he/she was rejected later on the same day. Ahmed shared, "I applied under the GCC resident category - those who live in the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council - but my application was rejected without any reason." he/she added, "I tried to reach the UAE Immigration Officer through calls and emails, but no response was received." Professional Nasir Chaudhary of the energy sector in Islamabad also experienced a similar problem. As soon as the matches were announced, he/she got excited and started working immediately to secure the visa to go to Dubai. he/she said, "We had to face problems related to Dubai visa for our official commitments earlier as well." "But love for sports, passion for high-octane matches between India and Pakistan, and Wilo and Ball's passion inspired me to live in Dubai." Chaudhary's enthusiasm was encouraged by the fact that Dubai was an accessible destination for Pakistanis. However, he/she and almost all his/her friends faced visa rejection without any clarification. Expressing disappointment, he/she said, "It has been a disappointing experience, and this does not help sports lovers and fans to travel to watch their teams and watch matches." he/she reiterated the feeling that India is using cricket as a "geopolitical equipment". As an emotional cricket fan, Chaudhary said, "If his/her team had been here, I would have climbed the pillar to watch the India-Pakistan match, even if it would have a risk like traveling in a rocky boat." The story of Jamal Hussain of Hunja is no different. A staunch cricket lover, he/she went to Karachi for a visa especially last month. Sadly, he/she faced visa rejection in early February and returned to his/her hometown. The UAE visa, especially for Pakistanis, has been a matter of concern for the last few months. Back in December, Ali Imran, a resident of Karachi, applied for a visa to visit the UAE to attend a coldplay concert. Despite having a broad journey history, he/she was not given a visa. Travel agents have seen that visa applications have been rejected extensively, even they fulfill all the necessary conditions. A travel agent from Karachi revealed that only four-day tourist visas were being approved, that too through airlines, especially through Emirates. he/she further said, "But even in this case, the rate of rejecting the visa is 30 percent." he/she informed that applicants need to buy their tickets first and then apply for a visa. In case of rejections, the cancellation of the ticket will cost $ 60 (Rs 16,752), and Rs 30,000 paid for the visa application fee will be wasted. Uncertainty and potential financial loss have also stopped fans such as Omar Naseem from applying for a visa. he/she said, "We do not want to spend so much money just to dismiss the visa." A survey conducted earlier this month by Don.com highlighted that a large part of people wishing to travel to Dubai for the Champions Trophy is unable to do so due to visa issues. 15 percent of the surprising respondents shared that they would not be able to attend the program due to rejecting visa application. Reports indicate that UAE officials have recently increased investigation for Pakistani citizens, which has increased criminal activities and crimes like begging. On 23 December, the Senate panel was informed that all Pakistani passengers entering the UAE would have to undergo compulsory police verification and investigation. Travel agents have been given necessary instructions in this regard. However, in a follow -up meeting on 9 January, the Standing Committee of the Senate on migrant Pakistanis and Human Resource Development was informed that "there is no restriction on the work visa". However, it was accepted that the visa for the UAE was "informally closed" and the government suspected that some Pakistani citizens who came on tourist visa were joining illegal works like begging. Interestingly, in an interview to Jio News in November last year, Dr. Bakhi Atik Alremithi, a UAE Consumer in Karachi, suggested that negative activity on social media could be a factor of visa rejection for Pakistanis. Alremithi explained in detail that the UAE had received complaints about some Pakistani social media celebrities, especially on platforms like tickets. This had dissatisfied the UAE government, due to which they had to implement strict visa rules, which increased the concern for Pakistani passengers. he/she clarified that there is no official ban on Pakistani citizens for UAE visa. The UAE Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to the request of the comment on this matter by Don.com. Pakistan Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Faisal Niaz Tirmizi assured that the Embassy is aware of the visa challenges faced by Pakistani cricket fans eager to support their team during the Champions Trophy. he/she said, "While issuing the visa comes under the jurisdiction of the immigration officers of the host country, the embassy is committed to providing all possible assistance to Pakistani citizens." Emphasizing strong bilateral relations between Pakistan and the UAE, Ambassador Tirmiji said, "We are confident that any challenge facing Pakistani cricket fans will be resolved." This irony situation, where fans of the country hosting the Champions Trophy may be deprived of watching the tournament, have raised questions about the role of the government and the cricket board. Last week, in a press briefing, a spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs denied any ban on the UAE visa, claiming that "many Pakistanis are already traveling; All flights are booked. " he/she also said that issuing visa is a sovereign right of any country. Similarly, a spokesperson of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) mentioned that he/she has "approached the officials concerned and requested them to facilitate the valid ticket holders in issuing a visa". However, there was no response to Don.com's efforts to reach Mohsin Naqvi of PCB, Don.com for further inquiry. Place :New Delhi,Delhifirst published :February 19, 2025, 23:21 ISTHomeCricketWhen will the pain of Pakistanis end? You will still not be able to watch the match [ad_2]
