ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities on Tuesday opened a special police station in the country’s federal capital to help its overseas population deal with financial deceptions, land-grabbing and other crimes against them anywhere in the country.
“This was part of our manifesto to facilitate overseas Pakistanis, and we have fulfilled this promise today,” said Sayed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, while inaugurating the police station in Islamabad along with Federal Minister for Interior Ejaz Shah.
Bukhari said that a summary had also been dispatched to the Ministry of Law and Justice for the establishment of special courts to ensure that the cases of overseas Pakistanis were adjudicated in two to three months.
“Overseas Pakistanis are our asset and we are trying our best to resolve their issues at the earliest,” he said. “This police station will help resolve all their legal complaints under one roof.”
Police personnel and staff of Overseas Pakistanis Foundation have been deployed at the new police facility to register complaints and ensure their early resolution while keeping the complainants informed about progress on their emails and WhatsApp numbers.
“This facility will soon be extended to Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces,” Bukhari said, adding that investments by overseas Pakistanis in different sectors would also be protected.
Pakistan has the 6th largest diaspora in the world with 7.6 million expats working in different countries. Majority of them reside in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The overseas Pakistanis have been contributing to the national economy by sending remittances and making investments in different sectors.
The country received $21.84 billion last year, or almost 7 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. Islamabad received $5 billion from Saudi Arabia alone. This was followed by the UAE with $4.35 billion while remittances from other Gulf Cooperation Council countries, including Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait, stood at $.2.1 billion in the last fiscal year.
Pakistan opens special police station to facilitate overseas nationals
Pakistan opens special police station to facilitate overseas nationals
- The government also plans to set up special courts to ensure speedy resolution of cases
- About 7.6 million Pakistanis work in different countries, most of them in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
Pakistan sends vessels to Saudi, UAE ports to secure crude supplies amid regional crisis
- The development comes as countries scramble to secure energy supplies amid US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s counterattacks
- If Islamabad arranges, Aramco has assured a large crude carrier can be loaded at Yanbu and stationed near Pakistan, minister says
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has sent vessels to ports in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to secure crude oil supplies, the Pakistani petroleum minister said late Friday, as tensions in the Middle East continue to threaten global energy flows.
Global oil markets have been rattled since the United States and Israeli began pounding Iran last week, prompting retaliatory strikes from Tehran across the region. The conflict has raised fears of disruptions in energy supplies, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, and pushed petroleum prices.
Pakistani Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and others said Islamabad was monitoring international energy markets and domestic supply conditions as they announced a hike of Rs55 ($0.20) per liter in petrol and diesel prices, promising to bring down the prices as soon as the conflict is resolved.
Describing the situation as “extraordinary,” Malik said they did not know how long the Middle East crisis would last and it was important to stretch Pakistan’s available petroleum reserves as much as they could to ensure a steady supply to consumers during the crisis.
“At the regional and global level, you can clearly see that countries are scrambling to secure energy supplies. Pakistan is also part of this effort because a significant portion of our energy supplies comes through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has engaged the Saudi government to secure alternative sources.
“With the help of the Foreign Office, two Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) vessels are currently on their way, one toward Yanbu port and the other toward Fujairah port, to bring crude oil from outside the Hormuz region in order to meet Pakistan’s energy needs.”
In addition, he said, Aramco had assured that if Pakistan arranged, a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) can be loaded at Yanbu and stationed near the Pakistani waters.
“From there, PNSC (Pakistan National Shipping Corporation) feeder vessels will ensure a continuous supply of crude oil to our refineries, so that even during this difficult phase Pakistan’s energy requirements continue to be met,” Malik shared.
The statement came as long queues of vehicles were seen outside petrol stations nationwide as Islamabad moved to raise petroleum prices to keep the supplies in check.
Pakistan, which relies heavily on imported fuel to meet its energy needs, is particularly vulnerable to global oil price shocks that can quickly feed into inflation and pressure the country’s external accounts.
Officials at Friday’s presser said Pakistan, which reviews petroleum prices fortnightly, will be considering them more frequently, potentially on a weekly basis, and any reduction in global oil prices would be passed on to consumers.
Finance Minister Aurangzeb said a high-level government committee formed by PM Sharif had been meeting daily to review developments in global petroleum markets and their potential impact on Pakistan’s economy.
“Pakistan currently maintains adequate energy stocks and macroeconomic stability,” Aurangzeb said, adding that the government’s response was based on preparedness rather than panic.
