Islamabad, The Senate’s Subcommittee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, led by Senator Engr. Rukhsana Zuberi, convened today at the Parliament House to deliberate on enhancing the welfare of the Pakistani diaspora and improving human resource development.
According to Senate of Pakistan, the committee’s session revolved around the considerable Pakistani population in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and the implementation of stricter passport regulations. The aim is to deter individuals with criminal intentions or those engaged in begging from traveling abroad. A notable development is the bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia to safeguard Pakistani workers’ rights, coupled with a robust action plan to verify workers’ backgrounds thoroughly.
Senator Engr. Rukhsana Zuberi underscored the significance of skill development, referencing the 2009 strategy, and discussed the potential introduction of an ‘Investors in People Award’ to bridge the employment gap. The convenor pressed for collaboration among Cabinet Division officers to launch awards that incentivize investment in the workforce, thus contributing to national progress.
The meeting also highlighted the urgent need to address human resource development and unemployment issues, which are exacerbated by inflation and the skills mismatch with the requirements of foreign employers. The decline in the number of overseas Pakistanis was attributed to these challenges.
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistani and Human Resource Development presented updates on the Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC), including the status of signed Letters of Intent (LOIs) and the digitization of the OEC portal, which now boasts a systematized and interference-free employee verification process.
Language training initiatives and future programs for German and Japanese were also discussed, as were the ministry’s collaborations with 26 EU countries, which promise to create more opportunities for skilled Pakistani workers. The convenor encouraged ministry officials to seek partnerships with the private sector entities that are already working on skills enhancement.
Additionally, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistani and Human Resource Development (SAPM) highlighted the necessity of digitizing the Bureau and establishing skill centers under the OEC’s auspices to augment the manpower in line with growing job demands.
The committee meeting, which was also attended by the SAPM on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, the Federal Secretary of OPHRD, and other high-ranking officials, concluded with Senator Zuberi commending the ministry’s efforts and advocating for the integration of the proposed reforms into their policies.