Islamabad: Parliamentary Secretary for Overseas Pakistanis and HumanResource Development, Ehsan Ul Haq Bajwa, announced on Wednesday that thegovernment has successfully facilitated the employment of 860,000Pakistanis abroad in 2023. This information was shared during a session ofthe National Assembly, as reported by ARY News.
Addressing concerns raised through a calling attention notice regarding theinvolvement of some individuals in begging activities abroad—particularlyin Gulf countries—Bajwa emphasized that such incidents, often linked toagents or criminal networks, harm Pakistan’s image. He reassured theassembly that the Ministry’s programs are designed with rigorous vettingprocesses to ensure that only qualified and credible candidates are sentabroad for employment.
Bajwa highlighted that the selection process for overseas employmentstrictly adheres to established criteria, significantly reducing the riskof those individuals being involved in unlawful activities such as begging.He noted that there is continuous communication between the Ministry,relevant authorities, and Pakistani embassies abroad. So far, no reportshave surfaced from any institution suggesting that individuals sent underthese programs are engaging in begging.
Furthermore, Bajwa stated that if any Pakistani is found involved inbegging overseas, the matter will be dealt with severely under the 1979Ordinance, with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) tasked withinvestigating and pursuing legal action against such cases.
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He clarified that the Ministry is only responsible for facilitating thelegal employment of individuals abroad and is not involved with thosetraveling for Umrah, student visas, personal visits, or pilgrimages.Additionally, the Bureau of Immigration has initiated a campaign to addressthis issue, while the Ministry of Interior, in collaboration with the FIA,is actively targeting agents responsible for facilitating illegalactivities.