ISLAMABAD: As part of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan began his trip from Madinah, following which he was expected to lead the country’s delegation at a key investment conference in Riyadh on Tuesday.
PM Khan and his coterie of officials arrived in Madinah on Monday night where they were received by Governor Faisal bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The group prayed together at the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah before heading to Riyadh to attend the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Finance Minister Asad Umar, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce, Abdur Razak Dawood are part of the delegation accompanying the prime minister.
In a statement released earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said that PM Khan was visiting the Kingdom on the special invitation of King Salman to participate in the prestigious business conference from October 23 to 25. Also known as “Davos in the desert”, the event is expected to host leading businesspersons, investors, corporate giants, representatives of the hi-tech industry and major media outlets on one platform.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan’s participation in the first day of the conference is aimed at projecting Pakistan’s economic and investment potential and his vision for the country in the five years to come,” the statement added.
“The conference provides an opportunity to interact with important business leaders who are interested in investing in Pakistan.”
As part of his visit, PM Khan is also expected to call upon King Salman and Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman.
The FII conference is now an annual feature in Saudi Arabia. It was held for the first time last year and witnessed the participation of 3,800 people from 90 countries. This year’s conference is also likely to attract a large number of leading figures.
“The prime minister’s participation in the conference signifies our solidarity with the Kingdom in its efforts to become an emerging hub of international business and investment,” the statement concluded.
PM Khan arrives in Madina in first leg of visit
PM Khan arrives in Madina in first leg of visit
- Khan will attend the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh
- PM to interact with important business leaders at the conference
Pakistan PM takes notice of passenger offloading issue, forms committee to streamline immigration
- Several passengers complained last month of being offloaded at airports despite having genuine travel documents
- Committee comprising IT minister to be led by minister for overseas Pakistanis, submit report to PM within three weeks
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of reports of arbitrary offloading of Pakistani passengers at various airports and has constituted a 14-member committee to streamline immigration procedures, the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis said this week.
The development took place after several passengers last month complained they were being offloaded at various Pakistani airports despite carrying valid travel documents, drawing public ire on social media platforms.
These reports coincided with Islamabad’s crackdown on illegal immigration, which gained significant attention in Pakistan after the arrest of several Pakistani and foreign nationals at airports with forged documents in recent years.
As per a notification by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis seen by Arab News dated Dec. 15, Sharif has formed a 14-member committee comprising the federal IT minister, state minister for overseas Pakistanis, and secretaries of both ministries. The committee will be led by the federal minister for overseas Pakistanis.
“A committee comprising the following members has been constituted to deliberate upon and implement measures for eliminating and minimizing human discretionary elements in the issuance and renewal of the Protectorate of Emigrants (POE) stamp for bona fide emigrants proceeding abroad,” the notification reads.
A POE stamp is a mandatory government endorsement on a Pakistani passport that is required by a citizen traveling abroad for employment.
The committee’s terms of reference (ToRs) include suggesting a “workable and end-to-end digitized process” for online issuance of POE stamps. It has also been tasked to undertake measures to develop a system to facilitate the online renewal of POE stamps.
The committee will suggest a mechanism to monitor workers’ satisfaction with the issuance, renewal of POE stamps and related immigration clearance arrangements.
“[Provide] recommendations for any other related measures which can improve the existing POE arrangements and bring them in line with international best practices,” it added.
The notification said the committee will finalize its findings within three weeks and submit a report to the prime minister.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi last month urged authorities not to offload passengers with valid travel documents.
Pakistan has also intensified its crackdown against individuals accused of exploiting visas to solicit money in Saudi Arabia.
Officials have warned the practice is damaging the country’s image and could affect genuine visa seekers, including religious pilgrims.
