ISLAMABAD: Dismissing reports that nationals residing in Saudi Arabia were facing problems in the country, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Friday that the reports were untrue.
In a written reply to questions about Pakistani expats in the Kingdom, Qureshi told the National Assembly: “Pakistanis employed in the Kingdom on proper work visas do not face problems pertaining to their work permits (Iqamas), outstanding dues etc,” adding that the Saudi was home to around 2.6 million Pakistani expats.
Qureshi added that only those Pakistanis who had overstayed, were involved in illegal activities or had traveled to GCC countries on a free visa faced problems. “In some cases, Pakistanis going on ‘Hajj and Umrah Visas’ to Saudi Arabia overstay and thus become liable for deportation by the Saudi authorities,” he said.
Earlier, Moulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, a lawmaker from the religious political alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, had asked the government whether any Pakistani workers were stranded in Saudi Arabia due to a nonpayment of salaries by their employers.
Qureshi explained to the house that Saudi Arabia was an oil-based economy and more than 70 percent of its budget was financed by the sector. Due to a slump in oil prices in the past, some projects were put on hold by the Saudi government.
He narrated the example of a construction company which had incurred a huge loss after several other companies defaulted due to an economic slump and failed to pay the wages to expatriates from various nationalities, which included 9,360 Pakistanis.
“The workers were stuck with expired visas and without salaries. The government of Pakistan, through our missions, facilitated the final exit and free tickets of 4,810 workers,” he said.
“We coordinated with different companies to relocate the workers and more than 4,548 were transferred to new employers within the Kingdom.”
Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Saudi Arabia last week, where he participated in the Future Investment Initiative Conference. Foreign Minister Qureshi said that during the meeting with Khan, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “agreed to bring visa fee for Pakistani workers at par with the visa fee charged from Indian workers i.e. SR305.”
Qureshi added that there are around 3,000 Pakistani nationals detained in Saudi prisons and a majority of those are “unfortunately detained on drug-related charges.”
Overseas Pakistanis not facing issues in Saudi Arabia – Qureshi
Overseas Pakistanis not facing issues in Saudi Arabia – Qureshi
- Foreign minister rubbishes reports that several are stranded in the country
- Says only those who had overstayed or indulged in illegal activities held back
UAE President to make first official Pakistan visit today with Islamabad set for arrival
- Foreign office says talks will cover investment, energy cooperation and regional stability
- UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner and a key source of long-term investment
ISLAMABAD: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan today, Friday, for his first official visit since assuming office, with Islamabad adorned with Pakistani and Emirati flags to mark the occasion.
The visit, taking place at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is aimed at reviewing bilateral ties and exploring ways to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, energy and development, according to Pakistan’s foreign office.
Ahead of the visit, Islamabad has been decked out with large billboards carrying images of the visiting UAE president alongside President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Sharif.
Rehearsals were also held a day earlier along roads leading to Constitution Avenue, the seat of the government, where groups dressed in traditional attire lined both sides of the route to welcome the visiting delegation.
“During the visit, His Highness will hold a meeting with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, where the two leaders will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest,” the foreign office said in a statement announcing the UAE president’s planned arrival earlier this week.
“The visit will provide an important opportunity to further strengthen the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates,” it added.
The Islamabad administration has declared a public holiday in the capital, while the traffic police have rolled out an extensive plan to manage vehicular movement during the visit.
According to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan, heavy traffic entering the city has been barred from 6 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., with several main arteries closed and alternative routes designated.
Pakistan considers the UAE one of its closest regional and economic partners. The Gulf state is Islamabad’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States and remains a major source of foreign investment.
Over the past two decades, Emirati investment in Pakistan has exceeded $10 billion, according to the UAE’s foreign ministry.
Policymakers in Pakistan also consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.
