Bannu, Abbottabad, Sukkur, GB, AJK: Turi orders establishment of new protector offices

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sajid Hussain Turi has directed the establishment of new protector offices in Bannu, Abbottabad, Sukkur, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Azad Kashmir (AJK) to facilitate and expedite the process of emigration and protection.

The minister, while chairing a meeting of the Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment (BI&OE), Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC), and others on Friday also directed the abolishing of Overseas Employment Corporation’s fees and has said that summary for approval in this regard shall be sent to the cabinet.

The minister was given a briefing by Secretary Ministry of Overseas Pakistani and Human Resource Development Zulfiqar Haider, DG BE&OE, DG OEC, and other senior officials of the ministry.

The minister directed to digitise the BEOE, OEC and particularly the protector office as E-Protector to make the process of protection faster, transparent and easier. He expressed that strict actions will be taken against officials involved in illegal activities and corruption, adding that it is their prime responsibility to facilitate the emigrants.

The minister informed that since he has taken the charge of the ministry, dozens of overseas promoter licenses were issued and renewed which were pending for last more than three years. He also directed to prepare a summary to fill up the vacancies so that the efficiency of the institutions could be enhanced.

While discussing the issues of overseas Pakistanis in various countries, Turi said that directives should be issued to all Community Welfare Attachés (CWAs) to improve their performance for the welfare of overseas Pakistanis.

He also directed that a fortnightly online meeting of all CWAs will be held onward to review the performance and every CWA has to send monthly performance report to his office listing the solved problems and grievances of overseas Pakistanis in their respective countries.

He said that any negligence in redressing the grievances of Overseas Pakistanis will not be tolerated. The Welfare Attachés should provide easy access to overseas Pakistanis to their offices, he added. The Ministry's doors are always open for all kinds of cooperation and issues of overseas Pakistanis, said Turi.

He said that on the instructions of Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, an online complaint portal is being established for overseas Pakistanis so they can lodge their complaints and make their contact with relevant authorities easy.

He directed that workers proceeding to various foreign countries through OEC shall be sent free of cost and the fees ranging from Rs50,000 to 100,000 should be abolished for which a summary should be moved to cabinet immediately. He said that for new manpower export, the OEC must explore markets in various countries.

He said that OEC shall focus imparting trainings and devise courses in foreign languages such as Japanese, German, Chinese, Korean, and Arabic. He directed that the OEC’s Job Portal be given expansion and it should be linked with all relevant stakeholders.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022