ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OP&HRD) will start registration of expats for the Prime Minister’s Corona Relief Tiger Force (CRTF) this month, who will help facilitate their countrymen stranded abroad due to worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus.
The decision was taken during a meeting between Special Assistants to the Prime Minister Muhammad Usman Dar and Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari. The meeting was held here to fix duties of ‘overseas tigers’ before the start of their registration, said a press release issued here.
As per initial plan decided by both the dignitaries, the ‘overseas tigers’ would collect the particulars of unemployed Pakistani expatriates. They would ensure provision of ration among the stranded Pakistanis.
Besides gathering the data of overseas Pakistanis, the members of overseas tiger force would also work in collaboration with the recommended representatives of Pakistani consulates and embassies.
The duties for ‘overseas tigers’ would be finalized till April 18, whereas a web portal would be set up in the OP&HRD shortly for initiating of their registration process.
During the meeting, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on OP&HRD Zulfikar Bukhari said the expats’ tiger force was being set up on emergency basis.
Terming the CRTF as a national force, Special Assistant for Youth Affairs Muhammad Usman Dar said it was above political lines. He also appreciated the youth for giving overwhelming response to the CRTF.
Zulfikar Bukhari requested Usman Dar for extending support to the jobless returnees under Kamyab Jawan Programme. He said the overseas ministry was compiling the data of those nationals who were returning home after their foreign employers laid them off.
The list of such returnees would soon be provided to the office of Youth Affairs, he added.
Usman Dar said strong liaison among the ministries would help mitigate the situation, arose due to the coronavirus pandemic.