Pakistani journalists are experiencing a real deja vu. With just two days left for the Asia Cup, several Pakistani journalists are yet to receive their visa for the multinational tournament. Something similar had happened during the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Visa row in India for ODI World Cup
Around 60 Pakistani journalists were expected to travel to India for the event, but none of them were granted visas before Pakistan had already played their first match of the tournament against the Netherlands. The issue was raised with the International Cricket Council (ICC) by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
However, the ICC put all of the blame on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It was only one day before the India vs Pakistan match on October 14 that the Indian High Commission in Islamabad contacted the journalist and granted them visas.
While it wasn’t great, one can understand why it happened. The Indian government don’t just grant visas to anyone of Pakistani origin. In 2024, England’s Shoaib Bashir couldn’t play one match due to a visa issue as well. Now they are having issues in the UAE for the Asia Cup.
Asia Cup visa issue for Pakistani journalists
But why are they having visa issues now? Both nations get along well, and ideally, this shouldn’t happen. The truth is, it isn’t just the Pakistani journalists who are having visa issues, but all Pakistani nationals. In December 2024, the UAE informed the Pakistani government that it would be vetting each applicant.
The move was made to address concerns about a rising number of Pakistani nationals, including beggars, entering the UAE. Mohsin Naqvi, who is Pakistan’s Federal Interior Minister and PCB Chairman, had discussed this issue in July with the UAE, but nothing has come of it.
Pakistan will commence their Asia Cup campaign on September 12 against Oman in Dubai, and it may happen that several Pakistani journalists won’t be able to cover the game.
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