Etihad Airways case: Taha deported to Faisalabad after April 12 detention

Taha, a Pakistani national who worked for etihad airways for over a decade, was detained at his Dubai workplace on April 12 and deported to Faisalabad less than a week later. Plainclothes officers from the Criminal Investigation Department took him away in handcuffs after his name and photo appeared in a police system.

Taha and Sarah Ali

Sarah Ali said she was told repeatedly to return later when she flew to Dubai days after the arrest to look for him. She said she was eventually granted a 10-minute visit through a glass partition. Ali described the arrest in blunt terms: "He was in complete shock."

She also said officers showed Taha his photo and asked what he had done before telling him, "We’re really sorry, but we can’t not take your phone away from you, because they’re watching us." Ali said he kept a restricted social media profile because of his government job. "Because he has a job in the government, they have very strict rules. So he doesn’t post anything political. He doesn’t post anything religious," she said.

Dubai Police System

Taha was taken first to Jebel Ali police station, then transferred to another detention site before ending up at Al-Awir. No formal charges were presented at any stage of the detention. He was later placed on a flight to Faisalabad, ending a case that moved from workplace arrest to deportation in less than a week.

Pakistani families

The case sits within growing testimonies from Pakistani nationals and their families who say relatives have been detained and, in many cases, deported from the United Arab Emirates without explanation. According to those accounts, a majority of the affected people appear to be Shiite. The reports come amid strains in UAE-Pakistan ties, including the UAE’s request that Pakistan immediately repay a $3.5 billion debt.