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, Oman navies discuss maritime security, ink agreement to share shipping data
- Visiting Oman royal navy commander calls on Pakistan Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf in Islamabad
- White shipping agreement refers to exchange of prior information on movement of commercial ships
ISLAMABAD: The naval commanders of Pakistan and Oman discussed regional maritime security on Wednesday and signed an agreement to share shipping information with each other, the Pakistan Navy said in a statement.
The press release followed a meeting between Pakistan Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf and the visiting Oman Royal Navy Commander Rear Admiral Saif Bin Nasser Bin Mohsin Al Rahbi at Naval Headquarters in Islamabad.
Both navies maintain close professional relations, reflected in expert-level staff talks, joint training, bilateral exercises, and participation in multilateral exercises between the Pakistan Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman.
“During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, regional maritime security and bilateral naval cooperation were discussed,” the Pakistan Navy said.
The MoU was signed by both sides at a ceremony at the Naval Headquarters, the navy’s media wing confirmed.
“The MoU is aimed at establishing of guidelines and procedures for information sharing in order to enhance mutual awareness of white shipping,” the Pakistan Navy said in a statement.
White shipping agreement refers to the exchange of prior information on the movement and identity of commercial non-military merchant vessels.
Information regarding the identity of vessels helps countries tackle potential threats from sea routes. This particularly helps in the development of a proper regional maritime domain awareness
The statement said Al Rahbi lauded Pakistan Navy’s professionalism and acknowledged its ongoing contributions to maritime security and regional stability.
Pakistan and Oman share geographical proximity and common maritime boundaries. Bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries span a wide range of areas, including economic cooperation, people-to-people contacts and strong defense ties.
In December, a Royal Navy flotilla from Oman visited Karachi to take part in the annual bilateral Thamar Al Tayyib (TAT) 2025 exercise.
Pakistan Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman have been conducting the TAT series of exercises regularly since 1980.
