ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday he had opened a “full scale” enquiry into the country’s embassy and ambassador in Riyadh over what he called their failure to adequately take care of Pakistani workers based in Saudi Arabia, while the foreign office said Khan has recalled Islamabad’s envoy in Riyadh.
During the current fiscal year, Saudi Arabia remained the single largest contributor to workers’ remittances by sending in $690.4 million in March. The overall inflow from the kingdom during the fiscal year amounted to $5.7 billion followed by the UAE with $4.5 billion. There are over two million Pakistanis living in Saudi Arabia.
“I say this with sorrow that our embassy, the way they should appreciate these hardworking people, who put their sweat and blood into their work, and I know that these poor people sometimes work 12 hours a day, do extra shifts, save money to send to their families,” the prime minister said while addressing an event in Islamabad. “I found out that in Saudi Arabia, our embassy, did not give them the service, the way they should have taken care of our labor in Saudi, they did not do that.”
He added:
“Yesterday I set up a full-scale enquiry on this. I am opening an enquiry into the ambassador. I am recalling a lot of staff back to Pakistan. And when the enquiry’s results come, whoever is responsible, whoever mistreated our labor … I will take action against all of them.”
Khan praised Pakistanis abroad for always supporting Pakistan’s economy.
“Overseas Pakistanis have, over the years, kept our economy afloat,” he said, adding that he had been in touch with overseas Pakistanis for the past 50 years, since his cricketing days.
In a message to Pakistani embassies around the world, Khan said their “most important duty” was to look after the affairs of Pakistani laborers.
“The Prime Minister has recalled Pakistan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Raja Ali Ijaz,” the foreign office spokesperson said at a weekly briefing. “Six Pakistani diplomats have also been recalled from Saudi Arabia. A high-level inquiry is underway.”
It added: “The Pakistani government attaches importance to the welfare of Pakistanis abroad. Pakistani missions around the world have instructions to support the Pakistani community. The recent statement of the prime minister will be fully implemented. A high-level inquiry committee is being formed to look into the matter.”
PM Khan recalls envoy to Saudi Arabia over inadequate support to overseas Pakistanis
https://arab.news/66kht
PM Khan recalls envoy to Saudi Arabia over inadequate support to overseas Pakistanis
- Says has opened “full-scale” inquiry into complaints embassy, ambassador did not take proper care of affairs of Pakistani workers
- In message to Pakistani embassies around the world, Khan says their “most important duty” was looking after overseas community
Pakistan mulls 'Super App' for public services, document verification in major technology push
- Pakistan has been urging technology adoption in public, private sectors as it seeks to become a key tech player globally
- The country this month launched the Indus AI Week to harness technology for productivity, skills development and innovation
KARACHI: Pakistan is planning to launch a “Super App” to deliver public services and enable digital document verification, the country's information technology (IT) minister said on Sunday, amid a major push for technology adoption in public and private sectors.
Pakistan, a country of 240 million people, seeks to become a key participant in the global tech economy, amid growing interest from governments in the Global South to harness advanced technologies for productivity, skills development and innovation.
The country's information and communications technology (ICT) exports hit a record $437 million in Dec. last year, according to IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja. This constituted a 23% increase month on month and a 26% increase year on year.
Pakistan's technology sector is also advancing in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, marked by the launch of Pakistan’s first sovereign AI cloud in November, designed to keep sensitive data domestic and support growth in the broader digital ecosystem.
“In developed countries, citizens can access all government services from a mobile phone,” Fatima said, announcing plans for the Super App at an event in Karachi where more than 7,000 students had gathered for an AI training entrance test as part of the ‘Indus AI Week.’
“We will strive to provide similar facilities in the coming years.”
Khawaja said the app will reduce the need for in-person visits to government offices such as the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
The Indus AI Week initiative, which ran from Feb. 9 till Feb. 15. was aimed at positioning Pakistan as a key future participant in the global AI revolution, according to the IT minister.
At the opening of the weeklong initiative, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that Pakistan would invest $1 billion in AI by 2030 to modernize the South Asian nation’s digital economy.
“These initiatives aim to strengthen national AI infrastructure and make the best use of our human resource,” Khawaja said, urging young Pakistanis to become creators, inventors and innovators rather than just being the consumers of technology.
