ISLAMABAD – Standing Committee of the National Assembly on OverseasPakistanis and Human Resource Development (OP&HRD) Thursday gave greensignal to the first-ever National Emigration Policy, encompassing promotionof safe, orderly and regular export of manpower to the other countries,improved welfare services for expats and engagement of Pakistani diasporain the national development.
The approval was given in a meeting which met here with Member of NationalAssembly (MNA) Sheikh Fayyaz ud Din in the chair.
At the outset of the meeting, the committee members unanimously approvedthe policy when Fayyaz ud Din asked of their further input.
The policy contained action plan and policy response which were evolvedafter identifying key challenges in promoting the emigration and regulatingthe welfare process for expats, in addition to the engagement of overseasPakistanis in the country development.
The committee was also briefed by an official of Federal InvestigationAgency (FIA) Cyber Crime Wing about the present status of Sohail Ayaz’scase who had been in incarceration for allegedly abducting and sexuallyassaulting a number of children in Pakistan.
The FIA told the meeting that a First Information Report had been lodgedagainst Sohail Ayaz after thorough investigation.
Challan against the accused person would be submitted in the court shortly.The committee members, who seemed unsatisfied over the briefing from theFIA official, requested the committee chairman to summon officers ofMinistry of Interior, Immigration department and other departmentsconcerned.
Fayyaz ud Din asked the committee secretary to summon all the relevantdepartments in the next meeting for briefing the members about the case indetail.
The committee members also underlined the need for increasing number of theCommunity Welfare Attachees (CWAs) in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)countries to ensure swift resolution of the expats issues.
Secretary OP&HRD division Muhammad Hashim Popalzai told the committee thatthe present government had increased number of the CWAs in Saudi Arabia tosix from four recently to provide instant relief to the Pakistaniexpatriates by resolving their issues in efficient manner.
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He said other options were also under consideration that includedengagement of community members in the GCC, who were keen to help thegovernment in redressing the expats’ grievances.
MNA Syed Javed Husnain called for early release of the prisoners in the GCCjails for committing petty crimes.
MNA Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto urged the ministries’ concerned to step updiplomatic efforts to ensure early return of the Pakistani expatriates,facing difficulties to resume their jobs and studies in their hostcountries.
Hashim Popalzai said the ministry had recently taken up the issues of SaudiArabia-based Pakistani workers with the relevant Minister in the gulf stateand requested them to extend the expiry date of their visas.
He said they were asked to increase number of flights moving from Pakistanto Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia agreed to the request and enhanced the numberof flights.
The committee was also briefed about the functioning of National IndustrialRelations Commission (NIRC) that informed the panel about its performance.
The NIRC informed the body that it had disposed of 10,736 and 8,633 casesduring 2019 and 2020, respectively.