ISLAMABAD: A spokesperson for the Pakistani foreign office said this week Pakistan had taken up with the Qatari government the case of labourers who had been contracted to work in Qatar - many of them on projects related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup - but had not been paid in months.
On June 10, Amnesty International revealed that an investigation by the watchdog had found that around 100 migrant workers at one of the tournament’s “crown jewel” stadiums had not been paid for up to seven months, despite Qatari authorities knowing about the problem as far back as last summer. The Amnesty report does not specify whether any of the affected laborers were Pakistani.
“The Pakistani embassy [in Doha] has already taken up all such cases with Qatar’s ministry of labor,” Pakistani foreign office spokesperson, Aisha Farooqui, told Arab News when asked about the overdue wages of labourers working in Qatar. “The minister of labor has also assured of his support in the resolution of such cases.”
Kashif Ahmed Noor, a director general at the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Pakistanis, said the Qatari government had promised Pakistan around 100,000 jobs related to World Cup projects in 2015, following which more than 80,000 Pakistanis were sent to Qatar. He said he did not have details of the “individual deployment of workers” but said around 150,000 Pakistanis in total were currently working in Qatar while around 700 had reported a delay in receiving their salaries.
“There were another 4,300 who registered for repatriation to avail leave [majority unpaid] from different companies due to the coronavirus pandemic,” Noor said, adding that a majority of the payment issues had been resolved
“We also received more complaints related to payments after the coronavirus outbreak,” he said, adding that Pakistan was working with the Qatari government and employers to resolve all pending issues.
Qadir Bakshi, a Pakistani laborer working on a World Cup football infrastructure project for the last three years, said he had not received a salary for the past three months, adding that he lost his job when he insisted on being paid.
Another Pakistani worker, Raja Muzzaffar from Bahawalpur, also said his employment was terminated after he was not paid for months.
In a statement released on June 10, the Qatari government’s communication office said in response to the Amnesty statement: “The government has made significant progress in recent years to reform the country’s labour system. There are still issues to overcome, including those related to the attitudes and behaviours of a small minority. This will take time, but we remain firmly committed to the task.”
Pakistan has taken up issue of workers' overdue salaries with Qatar — foreign office
https://arab.news/jva9q
Pakistan has taken up issue of workers' overdue salaries with Qatar — foreign office
- DG Bureau of Overseas Pakistanis says around 700 workers had complained of salary delays but “majority” cases were resolved
- Around 150,000 Pakistanis are currently working in Qatar, many of them on projects related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Pakistan military says ex-PM Khan’s narrative has become ‘threat to national security’
- Military spokesperson responds to Khan’s fresh criticism of Pakistan’s powerful army chief, whom he accuses of denying him basic rights
- Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry warns army will “come bare knuckle” if Khan and his party do not desist from attacking military leadership
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Friday that former prime minister Imran Khan’s narrative against the armed forces has become a “national security threat,” warning him and his party to keep the army out of political statements.
Chaudhry’s criticism comes in response to Khan’s latest statement, released by his account on social media platform X on Thursday, in which he blamed Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir for “the complete collapse of the constitution and rule of law in Pakistan.”
Khan, who was ousted via a parliamentary vote in April 2022, blames the country’s powerful army for colluding with his political rivals to keep him away from power. He blames the military and the incumbent government for keeping him in solitary confinement in a central prison in Rawalpindi. Pakistan’s military and the government have strongly rejected his claims.
“It may seem to you a bit strange coming from me this because that person [Khan] and the narrative he is pushing, it has become a national security threat,” Chaudhry told reporters at a news conference.
“And that is why it is very important that we come clear, without any ambiguity, without any doubt. We need to come clear and we need to say what needs to be said,” he added.
Throughout the press conference, Chaudhry kept referring to the former prime minister as a “mentally ill” person. He played video clips of Indian news channels and Afghanistan’s social media accounts promoting Khan’s statements against the military.
“Why would they not do it? Because sitting in your country, a mindset, a mentally ill person sitting here is saying these things against the military and its leadership,” he said.
The military spokesperson warned Khan and his party against criticizing the military. He added that while the military welcomes constructive criticism, it should be kept away from political statements.
“If someone for the sake of his own self, his delusional mindset and narcissistic thinking attacks this armed forces and its leadership, then we will also come bare knuckle,” he warned.
“There should be no doubt on that.”
Khan, who remains in prison on a slew of charges that he says are politically motivated, continues to be popular among the masses.
His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has frequently led rallies to demand his release from jail, including one in May 2023 and another in November 2024 that saw clashes with law enforcement personnel.
While the former prime minister continues to remain behind bars, rallies organized by the PTI still draw thousands of people across the country and his party still enjoys a sizable following on social media platforms.
