Islamabad, July 31: The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis was briefed about the appalling conditions of the Pakistani labor force, primarily in the Gulf, which has caused Gulf employers to prefer hiring labor from other regional countries, like Bangladesh, rather than Pakistan. The Senate committee meeting was presided over by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada, who emphasized that the government was ignoring the potential in this sector.
The secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Dr. Arshad Mahmood, responded to criticism from committee members about the government’s inability to utilize the potential of the Pakistani diaspora. He painted a dire picture of the state of the Pakistani labor force in Gulf countries.
He claimed that Pakistanis are thought to be responsible for 50% of the crime rate among UAE workers. The committee was also told that the UAE authorities had recently voiced worry about certain Pakistanis acting inappropriately in their nation, including filming ladies in Dubai without their permission.
According to the ministry secretary, there is a downward tendency in Pakistani labor force employment abroad since a sizable segment of the country’s labor force is still unskilled despite modernization and technological advancements. According to Dr. Mahmood, Pakistan should take a cue from the skilled labor force of nations like Bangladesh.
Ten million Pakistanis live abroad, mostly in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, according to the secretary. The committee was informed by the secretary that the governments of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar have expressed reluctance on a number of issues pertaining to Pakistanis living abroad. The Senate committee was notified that organized groups of beggars from Pakistan were discovered working in Saudi Arabia and Iraq in September of last year. These individuals were pilgrims who had traveled to these nations.
Ninety percent of the beggars arrested in Saudi Arabia were Pakistanis, according to Saudi authorities, and the majority of these visitors are there on Umrah visas. The committee was informed that foreign workers have replaced Pakistani laborers due to a lack of resources and skill development for the country’s labor force.
A committee member named Senator Nasir Abbas brought up the problem of Pakistanis earning a living illegally in Iraq and asked if the ministry could assist them since they are frequently mistreated. Senator Zeeshan Khanzada stated that many Pakistanis were living in Italy illegally, but they identify as non-Pakistanis even though the Pakistani embassy recognizes them as citizens of Pakistan. He recommended that the ministry take the initiative to obtain a clear picture and offer assistance to Pakistanis who become stranded.
