Secretary Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development told the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development on Tuesday about a declining trend in the overseas employment of Pakistani labour. This decline is attributed to modernization and advanced technology in these societies while a significant portion of the Pakistani labour force remains unskilled.
Additionally, the secretary told the committee there is a lack of resources and skill development within the domestic labour force, resulting in workers from other countries replacing Pakistani workers.
The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development held its meeting under Chairman Senator Zeeshan Khanzada here at the Parliament House on Tuesday.
The secretary, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, told the committee the domestic labour force comprises 71.8 million people, while the diaspora includes 10.7 million individuals, primarily in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the US, the UK, and Canada.
The ministry officials further reported to the committee about the issues of criminal activities among the Pakistani workforce abroad and told the committee 50pc of crimes among the labour force in the UAE is reportedly attributed to Pakistanis. The officials also said that efforts are underway to conduct orientation sessions for immigrants. They highlighted that skilled labour from countries like Bangladesh serves as an inspiration, and Pakistan needs to follow suit.
In recent days, he told the committee that an agreement has been reached with Saudi Arabia regarding workers. Saudi Arabia has demanded not to send beggars, sick people and people without skills.
The meeting was told that the European Union asked for improving the FIA system and border control and then will give a small quota in employment. “The EU team is coming. We will be in a tough situation if we failed to control borders and human trafficking.”
Officials of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis told the Senate committee that the countries of the Middle East have turned their direction towards Africa instead of Pakistan, which is a matter of great concern.
During the briefing, officials of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis made complaints about Pakistanis abroad making TikToks and said that strange TikToks are also made by Pakistanis in the UAE. “Pakistanis gave strange explanations for the rain in UAE in their TikToks,” the committee was told.
Chairman of the committee Senator Zeeshan Khanzada commenced the meeting by emphasizing that there was a lot of potential in the Overseas Pakistani and Human Resource Development sector, which was being neglected by the government.
The secretary briefed the members on the ministry’s mandate, stressing the proposed master plan for HRD, emigration, welfare and investment promotions. This includes facilitating investment for start-ups, coordinating skill development through entities such as NAVTTC and actively coordinating with international organizations.
The secretary pointed out the insufficiency of the mandate and requested support from the cabinet division. He also provided an overview of the ministry’s legal and institutional frameworks.
Additionally, the secretary reported on the ministry’s existing organogram, highlighting that there are 315 sanctioned posts, of which 207 are filled and 108 are vacant.
The ministry officials also shared the overall budget with committee members. Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro suggested that the ministry officials bring detailed information on the sanctioned posts to the next meeting. Senator Raja Nasir Abbas addressed the pressing issue of Pakistanis living illegally in Iraq to earn a livelihood and suggested legalizing the status of these diaspora members, who are often subjected to poor treatment.
Senator Zeeshan Khanzada emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting that a segment of Pakistanis living illegally in Italy identify as non-Pakistanis, while the embassy identifies them as Pakistani citizens.
The secretary informed the committee that 95pc of job hunting is driven by the private sector. He outlined several challenges faced by the ministry, including difficulties in obtaining accurate job hunting data, lack of support from relevant departments after job opportunities are secured, insufficient focus on remittance areas and the need to revamp the immigration system for the labour force. The chairman of the committee suggested that the key issue lies in implementation and that improving this aspect would benefit the country.
Additionally, the secretary presented a two-year transformation plan, which includes effective diaspora engagement to enhance remittances, promote investment and support national development.
Senator Kazim Ali Shah suggested the ministry provide the list of Overseas Employees Promoters (OEPs) in Sindh.
