March 14, 2016
News
‘Govt has taken revolutionary steps to alleviate expatriates problems’
APPISLAMABAD: Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) Managing Director (MD) Habibur Rehman Khan has said that the government had taken revolutionary measures to alleviate the problems of expatriates at 92 missions around the globe.
He said that due to the positive measures, a rapid increase in export of manpower in the past few years had been witnessed adding that this manpower export has put a direct impact in the betterment of economic condition of the country and the record amount of foreign exchange was also remitted by the overseas Pakistanis during 2014-15.
He said that during the tenure of the incumbent government, a record number of Pakistani workers had proceeded abroad mostly to the Middle Eastern countries for employment which is evident from the available record. While giving detailed steps taken by the government, the OPF MD said that all the ambassadors of Pakistan serving at 92 missions around the world had been asked to allocate a day every week for personal hearing of complaints of the overseas Pakistanis.
The Foreign Office is also been asked to ensure active working of all focal persons posted at 92 missions for the resolution of issues being faced by overseas Pakistanis, he added.
Habeeb said that on the directives of the government, the performance and welfare reports are being submitted by each ambassador to the secretariat of federal ombudsman on monthly basis.
He said that all the ambassadors had uploaded their contact numbers and information about focal persons on their respective websites.
He said, “One window facilitation desks at all the international airports in Pakistan has also been made operational and overseas Pakistanis could avail the facilities for resolution of their issues”.
He said that ambassadors around the globe have set up online appointment system for overseas Pakistanis so that they could get their issues resolved without any problem. The passport department had been asked to open new counters, make separate arrangements for women and increase their staff in Riyadh and other Middle Eastern countries.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk