What Islamabad sealed on Wednesday
Pakistan and Oman will scrap entry visas for a narrow circle of travellers: people carrying diplomatic papers and related state-issued categories — special, official and service. The step is reciprocal. It is designed to ease official journeys, not to open Oman to Pakistani holidaymakers or job seekers on standard passports.
Ishaq Dar, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, signed for Islamabad. Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Oman’s foreign minister, signed for Muscat. The ceremony was held at the Prime Minister’s Office during the eighth joint ministerial commission between the two governments.
Who benefits — and who does not
Eligibility stops at those four document types. Anyone with an ordinary Pakistani passport remains outside this visa exemption and must still follow Oman’s usual entry rules for tourism, family visits or other private travel.
Ministries did not publish when the rule begins or how long a visit may last. Until those details appear, eligible officials should treat the pact as concluded but not yet ready for day-to-day planning.
Other instruments completed the same day
Shehbaz Sharif looked on as a wider set of papers was finished. Beside the visa text and the commission session record, memoranda addressed archives and records, broadcasting and information, IT and telecoms, and news-sharing with media cooperation.
Those MoUs point to closer work among matching agencies — including archives bodies and media-related institutions — rather than new rules for the general public.
How leaders framed the visit
Shehbaz called Oman a valued partner and an important neighbour across the sea. He said a productive commission sitting should widen practical cooperation. The visiting foreign minister welcomed the results and credited Islamabad’s diplomacy for efforts to ease regional tension and favour peaceful paths.
Taken together, the visa step and the sector MoUs mark a formal push on government-to-government links. For most citizens, day-to-day travel to Oman is unchanged until any future opening for ordinary passports is announced — something this package does not include.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan aur Oman ne diplomatic aur official passport walon ke liye visa hata diya hai. Aam Pakistani passport walon ko Oman jaane ke liye ab bhi visa chahiye. Yeh deal tourists ya private travel ke liye nahi hai. Kab se apply hogi, abhi announce nahi hua.
