Govt determined to resolve overseas Pakistanis’ issues: Kh Asif
ISLAMABAD, (MILLAT ONLINE):Minister for Foreign Affairs Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Friday informed the National
Assembly that the ministry was fully cognizant of the issues of overseas Pakistanis
and determined to address all matters on priority basis.
Replying to a calling attention notice in the National Assembly, the minister said
that 2.7 million Pakistanis were living in Saudi Arabia while the number of Community
Welfare Officers was very low to address the issues of overseas Pakistanis in that
country timely.
He said that several Pakistani prisoners were detained in some jails of Saudi
Arabia with different charges and the reasons behind large number of Pakistani
imprisonment were visa expiry or over-stay while there were few cases of criminal
and civil offence.
He added there were proposals under consideration that the number of Community
Welfare Officers be reasonably increased in countries like Saudi Arabia, where a
large number of Pakistanis were living.
He said presently due to low capacity, there was an issue of dealing with a large
number of overseas Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia and that it will be resolved after
appointment of new Community Welfare officers. He however added that other
ministries were responsible for appointment of these officers.
He said during his visit to Saudi Arabia, he had taken the issues with Saudi
Foreign Minister. He said there were issues like increase in visa fees besides
visitors’ visa fees and said that all these issues were being reviewed.
He said the role of Anti Narcotics Force, Pakistan Customs and FIA was critical
in controlling the drugs’ smuggling abroad . He added there was a need to have
vigilance and enforcement at airports to control this menace.
He said laws should be implemented and facilitators of drugs smugglers should
be apprehended, particularly of smuggling via Afghanistan.
Earlier, in their calling attention notice, MNAs Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Ms
Naseema Hefeez Panezai and Abdul Qahar Khan Wadan raised the issue of
Pakistani prisoners in Saudi Arabia jails.