U.A.E. Expels Pakistani Workers, as Pakistan’s Peacemaking Creates a Rift

THE NEW YORK TIMES: As Pakistan mediates between the U.S. and Iran, its ties to the Emirates have deteriorated. Pakistani workers say they are now being sent home en masse.

Pakistan has been trying to help end the war in Iran, but that effort is now creating problems with one of its longtime partners, the United Arab Emirates.

The rich Persian Gulf country has started a large-scale expulsion of Pakistani workers, threatening to cut off a vital source of jobs for Pakistan.

The Emirates appears to be upset that Pakistan has not condemned Iranian strikes on the Emirates more forcefully while it is trying broker a peace deal between the United States and Iran. The Emirates has borne the brunt of those attacks and has been hit by thousands of Iranian missiles and drones strikes.

The New York Times interviewed more than 20 Pakistani Shiites who worked in the Emirates as employees of Emirati companies. All said they were suddenly arrested, detained and deported in the past month.

Eight people with businesses based in the Emirates said their Pakistani employees had been deported in recent weeks.

Shiite religious leaders in Pakistan estimate as many as thousands of Shiite Pakistanis have been deported from the Emirates since mid-April. Pakistan’s 35 million Shiites, who have deep spiritual ties to Iran, have often faced sectarian violence in Pakistan, where the majority of people are Sunni Muslims.

The reasons for the expulsions are unclear, and both countries claim their ties are strong. » | Elian Peltier, Zia ur-Rehman and Vivian Nereim | Elian Peltier reported from Islamabad, Pakistan; Zia ur-Rehman from Kohat District in the country’s northwest, and Vivian Nereim from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. | Friday, May 8, 2026

Iran War: Trump Threatens to ‘Blow Up Whole Country’

Apr 19, 2026 | Iranian state media has just announced a team from Iran will not be taking part in the new round of peace talks in Pakistan.

President Trump said he was sending a delegation to Islamabad for the talks on Monday night, and warned every power plant and every bridge in Iran would be knocked out if the regime does not agree to his terms.

Pakistan Plagued by Economic Problems
Pakistan's president has asked parliament to meet on Friday to elect a new prime minister. The dismissal of Yusuf Raza Gilani by the Supreme Court on Tuesday has added to the political instability in Pakistan. And as Imtiaz Tyab reports, it's already saddled with massive economic and security problems.

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What a Load of Fuss about Nothing!
It seemed to me that the way Prince Harry used the term “Paki”, it was rather endearing. In any case, what is wrong with the term "Paki"? The Pakistanis use it themselves, about themselves, on the sub-continent. Check out a Pakistani newspaper!

In any case, Pakistanis and other Asians should not be so sensitive, should develop a sense of humour, and we should not be so ready to be pc. Do we forget that people from many countries have nicknames? If you come from Wales, you get called a Taffy; if you come from the US, you get called a Yank; if you come from France, you get called a Frog; if you come from Italy, you get called an Iti; if you came from Germany during the Second World War, you got called Bosch or square head, etc. So why should Pakistanis and Asians be singled out for special, kid-glove treatment?

It's time for us all to grow up. And leave Prince Harry alone. Weren't we all young once?

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