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ISLAMABAD: More than 3.27 million Pakistanis, which roughly make 1.3 percent of the country’s total population, have been sent abroad in five years — from 2019 till August 2024 — for employment through government channels, it transpired from the data shared by the federal government with the upper house of the parliament.

These workers were sent abroad through the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, and Protectorate of Emigrants, from 2019 till last month, the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD) informed the Senate on Friday.

The said workers were sent abroad on the demand of the host countries, read a written reply from the ministry, shared in the Senate session during question hour, to a question posed by Masroor Ahsan from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Working abroad – on the rise

The senator inquired from the ministry about the number of persons sent abroad for employment by the government, during the last five years, along with country-wise break-up.

The data shared by the ministry seemed questionable as it appeared to be marked with glaring factual inaccuracies. A list of 251 countries given by the MOPHRD, where, according to the ministry, Pakistani workers went for employment purposes, included none other than “Pakistan” itself.

In this context, the official data shared by the ministry with Senate suggested that some 50 Pakistanis went to “Pakistan” for employment in 2019.

The total number of the said Pakistanis, who proceeded abroad, through the government channels, as provided by the ministry, was 3,276,861.

But the area-wise break-up suggested that 3,272,659 Pakistanis travelled abroad, from 2019 till last month, for employment through government channels.

The tally of people who went abroad from Punjab was recorded at 1.79 million, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (1.02 million), Sindh (255,537), Azad Jammu and Kashmir-AJK (124,900), Islamabad Capital Territory- ICT (32,046), Balochistan (28,119) and Gilgit-Baltistan-GB (5,436).

In one official list shared by the ministry with Senate, the highest number of over 1,829,709 Pakistanis went to Saudi Arabia, followed by United Arab Emirates (708,268) and Oman (265,496), in over five years.

However, another official list the ministry shared with the house suggested different numbers for the same three countries; Saudi Arabia (1,829,907), UAE (707,416) and Oman (265,455). The discrepancies in the statistics related to several other countries were also found in the ministry’s official data.

In addition, as many as 33,652 Pakistanis went to the United Kingdom and 3,820 Pakistanis went to the United Sates in the corresponding period, the ministry’s reply suggested.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024

Comments

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NXT Sep 07, 2024 08:57am
This is a pyrrhic accomplishment!
thumb_up Recommended (0)
Willow Sep 07, 2024 10:07am
The person presented this data doesnt believe in it himself, he knows how poor is our data collection.
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Asad Rizvi Sep 07, 2024 10:13am
Seek evidence confirming govt's 3.27 mil protector stamp from relevant authorities along with the insurance coverage. Travelling is prohibited without protector's stamp. You don't need rocket science.
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Abdullah Sep 07, 2024 10:25am
Senator was high on some cheap stuff.He doesnt know there is no gmsuch govt program.
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KU Sep 07, 2024 11:07am
Govt only facilitated them with passports, while majority of them invested efforts n money in language courses as well as skill development in private institutes.
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B P Sep 07, 2024 12:43pm
In a globalised world, immigration is common. 3 million out of 240+ million population is a drop in the ocean. Our population growth can replace them in no time.
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B P Sep 07, 2024 12:45pm
These statistics is fake. Just like 42 billion dollars begging industry. Most statistics in pakistan is fake with no authentic sources.
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test Sep 07, 2024 12:50pm
Most of them abroad would be taxi drivers, waiters, salesman, delivery boys, beggars, toilet cleaners, gutter cleaners, animal showers, labourers & some would be IT Guys. Engineers, Doctors, Teachers.
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Fazeel Siddiqui (Overseas Pakistani) Sep 07, 2024 02:51pm
Do nothing but take credit of everything, just because you're 'state' so your all lies are to be believed true as faith.
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Pakistani Sep 07, 2024 05:50pm
The headline "have been sent abroad in five years" is misleading. Except for people working for the government rest of them went by finding own jobs, struggling and paying high agent fees etc.
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Pakistani Sep 07, 2024 05:53pm
What was governments contribution? Did they facilitate finding jobs for them, training them with requisite skills, negotiating better contracts for them? Answer to all above is No Contribution!
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