06 Wednesday, January 17, 2024 Nation

Reports by L N Mallick

Pakistan Prism For events and press releases email

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call (974) 4000 2222

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resources Development Jawad Sohrab Jawad Sohrab Malik addresses the community gathering at the Pakistan embassy.
Malik addresses the media as Community Welfare Attachés Arslan Khan Tanoli and Waheed Ullah Khan look on.

Qatar has become a preferred destination for

Pakistani migrant workers: PM’s Special Asst
Q
ATAR has become one
of the preferred desti-
nations for Pakistani
migrant workers due
to the Qatari govern-
ment’s labour reforms, Special
Assistant to the Prime Minister
of Pakistan on Overseas Paki-
stanis and Human Resources
Development, Jawad Sohrab
Malik, has said.
Malik arrived in Doha on a
four-day official visit at the in-
vitation of Qatar’s Minister of
Labour HE Dr Ali Bin Samikh
Al Marri.
Speaking to media persons,
Malik said, “Manpower export
is a large contributor of remit-
tances that we receive in Pa-
kistan. We have been working
hard to explore avenues to en-
hance the manpower export.”
He said he had a very fruit-
ful meeting with Qatar’s Minis-
ter of Labour HE Dr Ali Bin Sa-
mikh Al Marri. “We discussed
the possibilities of increasing
our manpower here in Qatar.
We discussed ways where we
can further encourage legal mi-
gration, and migration policy
development. In addition to
that we emphasised on the fact
Qatar should further explore
setting up testing centres in
Pakistan. When they establish
testing centres in Pakistan,
they will have more confidence
and trust on the resources,” re-
marked Malik.
The focus of the meeting, he
said, was to avail the opportu-
nities that Qatar has for the Pa-
kistani workforce in Qatar.
He noted that there are lot
of opportunities that labour ex-
porting countries like Pakistan,
could avail themselves of. “We
are actually on a tour to iden-
tify those opportunities, raise
the demand, and then go back
to Pakistan and skill those indi-
viduals and export manpower
to that relevant country,” said
Malik.
Speaking about the agenda
of his visit, Malik said, “Today’s
agenda was the facilitation that
we can obtain from the govern-
ment of Qatar. We informed
the minister that we are in the
process of signing agreements
and LOI’s with employers in
Qatar because eventually the
doors of opportunities for Pa-
kistanis will open up once we
start signing these agreements
with private employers in Qa-
tar. The more agreements we
sign the more doors of oppor-
tunities we open up for Paki-
stanis in Qatar. One employer,
for example, would have capac-
ity of minimum 10 individuals
while the other would have ca-
pacity for 2,000 Pakistanis.
“We need to understand
that when we come here, the
government of Qatar would
not ask us to send 200,000
Pakistanis because it’s not go-
ing to work like that. We need
to raise a demand and skill our
individuals according to the re-
quirement.”
He said that currently
around 300,000 Pakistanis
are living in Qatar which is 10
percent of Qatar’s total popu-
lation. “Already it’s a quite a
high figure and Insha Allah if
we are able to work on develop-
ing skills, raising demand and
open up avenues of job gen-
eration with private employ-
ers, the numbers will further
increase,” remarked Malik.
He informed that that Pa-
kistan has signed two LOI’s on
human resource export to Qa-
tar with two private companies
during his visit. “Pakistanis are
engaged in all vocations and
comprise highly qualified pro-
fessionals as well as unskilled
labour. Around 58,000 Paki-
stanis came to Qatar in 2023,”
he said.
“Pakistan is exploring job
opportunities for its workers
in construction, hospitality,
healthcare and energy sectors.
Currently, around 10 million
Pakistanis are working abroad
and 3 million are working in
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
alone while 3 million Pakistan-
is are placed in different Gulf
countries,” he said.
On an average, overseas
Pakistanis send $27 billion an-
nually in the shape of foreign
remittances to their mother-
land. From Qatar, Pakistanis
remit approximately $1 billion
annually.
There is another LOI in the
pipeline, he said, in relation to
labour mobility, which would
be signed within a few weeks
after due diligence by the Qa-
tari authorities.
Earlier, speaking to a com-
munity gathering, Malik said
that on an average around
800,000 Pakistanis find job
opportunities around the
globe. “It is not a brain drain
because it’s just 0.3 percent of
our total population and it’s a
good sign for our country be-
cause we get more remittances.
We want to explore more op-
portunities to export our work
force,” he noted.
He informed that the Paki-
stani government has set up six
more protectorate offices in ad-
dition to existing nine offices in
difference cities.
He said the government has
established “Support Desks for
Overseas Pakistanis” within
the premises of the Islamabad
Capital Territory Administra-
tion (ICT) offices and One Win-
dow at Capital Development
Authority (CDA) in Islamabad.
This strategic initiative is intri-
cately aligned with the vision
of the prime minister of Paki-
stan, for special emphasis on
the provision of comprehensive
assistance and facilitation such
as property related issues to the
Pakistani diaspora.
Earlier, Pakistan Ambas-
sador HE Muhemed Aejaz
praised the role of Pakistani
community in the development
of Qatar and noted that Qa-
tari authorities hold Pakistani
workforce in great esteem due
to their hard work and dedica-
tion.
Community Welfare Atta-
chés Arslan Khan Tanoli and
Waheed Ullah Khan also spoke
on the occasion.

Pakistani Professional Community Qatar bids adieu to Fahad Ismail

P
AKISTANI Professional Com-
munity Qatar (PPCQ) organ-
ised a farewell function for
Fahad Ismail, a distinguished
HSE professional working with
KEO International for the past dec-
ade in Qatar, at Sarhad Premium
Restaurant, Golden Tulip Hotel.
Fahad, now embarking on a
temporary assignment in the King-
dom of Saudi Arabia for a challeng-
ing role in a prestigious construc-
tion project, leaves behind a legacy
as a distinguished community
leader.
Arshad Hussain commended
Fahad for his pivotal role in form-
ing the Pakistani FIFA volunteers
group, highlighting his enthusiasm
for involving the community mem-
bers in global events. As a non-po-
litical and non-commercial social Fahad, now embarking on a temporary assignment in the Kingdom of
network, he noted, PPCQ aims to Saudi Arabia for a challenging role in a prestigious construction pro-
foster community betterment. ject, leaves behind a legacy as a distinguished community leader.
Fahad’s affable personality,
unwavering commitment to social
welfare, professional excellence, family members are staying here. Ali Khanan, Ikram Butt, Moham-
and community building will be Stressing career growth, Fa- mad Suhail, Israr Malazai, Amer
deeply cherished, PPCQ members had expressed optimism about Khan, Syed Faiz Shah, Humayun
noted, while praising his tireless ef- the opportunities that lie ahead. Rashid and Mazhar Yousafzai
forts in guiding job seekers, cham- Throughout his stay in Qatar, Fa- spoke on the occasion and ex-
pioning initiatives, and volunteer- had was actively engaged in com- pressed their admiration for Fa-
ing during the challenging times of munity organisations, founding the had’s leadership, dedication, and
COVID-19. Pakistan Worker’s Welfare Forum significant contributions towards
Speaking on the occasion, Fa- and serving as first President of the community.
had thanked the community mem- Sparks Toastmasters Club. Dr Javaid rendered a heart-
bers for organising the event in his Community members includ- touching poem appreciating Fahad
honour and noted that while he ing Anwar Shah, Qaisar Anwar, Dr and his father Mohammad Ismail.
is leaving with fond memories of Ahmad Javaid, Atiqur Rasheed, Eng Arshad Hussain and Israr
Qatar, he will continue to visit the Zeeshan Quddos, Abdul Khaliq, Malazai presented a token of ap-
country in future as his parents and Ashraf Siddique, Rashid Orakzai, preciation to Fahad.