ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Defense and Aviation Minister Khawaja Asif said on Thursday that his country would keep extending its support to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the civil and defense sectors, amid reports of a declining trend in overseas employment for the Pakistani labor force.
The statement came days after a Pakistani senate committee discussed concerns by Gulf employers about the lackluster performance standards and behaviors of Pakistani citizens in their countries.
In a weekly briefing on Thursday, Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson advised Pakistani nationals living abroad, especially in the Middle East, to abide by their laws and respect their customs.
On Thursday, UAE Ambassador Hamad Obaid Al-Zaabi called on Asif and discussed with him matters pertaining to civil aviation sectors of Pakistan and the UAE, according to the UAE embassy.
“Khawaja Muhammad Asif highlighted that Pakistani Nationals are playing a productive role in various fields for the progress of UAE,” the embassy said in a statement.
“Pakistan will continue to extend its support for UAE in civil and defense sectors.”
Of over 10 million overseas Pakistanis, over 50 percent live in Gulf countries, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE being the top choices for Pakistani laborers for decades. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the first and second largest sources of remittances to Pakistan, respectively.
In her press briefing, Pakistani foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch noted that apart from a few individuals, the majority of Pakistani nationals living abroad were law-abiding citizens and respected the laws of their host countries, including those of the Gulf States.
“The host governments are appreciative of Pakistani nationals, of their contribution to their society, and the peaceful and law-abiding nature of Pakistani workers who live in these countries, especially in the Middle East,” she added.
