Rawalpindi, (Parliament Times) : Speakers at a seminar on “Role of Overseas Employment in Poverty Reduction” held here in Knight Human Management (KHM) Shaalan GL Pakistan office on Wednesday have underlined the need of resolving the matter with UAE authorities pertaining to issuance of work visas for Pakistanis at an earliest. “Unemployment and Poverty reduction efforts of the present government need to be boosted up for that it must resolve this matter as soon as possible”, they added saying the UAE is the second largest source of overseas employment for our youth which also made it the second largest source of foreign remittances for our struggling economy.
The Seminar was chaired by the Chief Executive Officer of KHM Khalid Nawaz and attended by a large number of representatives of overseas employment promoters including Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Safeer Ansari, Asim Pervaiz, Choudhary Nisar Ahmed, Col. ® Ajmal Khan and others.
KHM CEO Khalid Nawaz said a semi government department from Abu Dhabi has placed order of providing some unskilled workforce but there is a need to lift the ban completely. He said that the struggling economy of Pakistan was badly in need of foreign remittances from expatriates and if the ban by UAE is intact, it would further harm our economy coupled with upsurge of unemployment in the country. “In the last five years, 1.3 million Pakistanis have found jobs in the UAE who sent billions of dollars back home”, he quoted the World Economic Report as saying.
Khalid Nawaz said that the overseas employment promoters were playing a commendable role in reducing unemployment but they had no grasp over the matters like getting lifted the UAE ban, but trying best to help our government in reducing poverty and unemployment.
He also praised the lifting of sponsorship restrictions on the workforce by Saudi Arabia and said that these measures would better protect the interests and rights of workers for which the Saudi government deserves congratulations. Khalid Nawaz added that semi-government agencies in the UAE have issued orders to send workers from Pakistan after government permission, which is very encouraging. These job restoration initiatives have numerous benefits for Pakistan and the UAE.
“Expatriates not only support their families, but they also provide valuable foreign exchange in the national treasury”, he mentioned. He further said the overseas jobs are very important for the eradication of poverty and unemployment and we are grateful to the relevant agencies of the UAE who, with the consent of their government, have ordered the recruitment of Pakistani workforce. Our workforce works harder, more honestly and diligently than any other country.
Other speakers said that the International Labour Organization had awarded the outstanding performance award to KHM for taking the best care of the interests and rights of workers and employers which is an honor for Pakistan. They also lauded the efforts of KHM officers who imparted the best technical skills to overseas workers as well as equip them with the best interpersonal skills to ensure the security of their jobs.
