UAE BAN ON PAKISTANI WORKFORCE DAMAGING GOP’s EFFORTS OF POVERTY ALLEVIATION

Islamabad; Prolonging Ban on entering into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Pakistani work force is damaging the efforts of poverty alleviation of present government and a number of skilled and unskilled workers have lost their savings while waiting for lifting ban, said Khalid Nawaz, Chief Executive Officer of Knight Human Management (KHM) SHALAAN Pakistan, an agency working to protect rights and jobs of overseas Pakistanis.

He was addressing to a youth assembly who sought career counseling in KHM School of Arts and Design here on 31 Jan 2021.

“Ready to left for UAE, Pakistani workforce across the country, making a huge number in thousands, has consumed left over savings now and their families are facing very difficult situation and are moving towards starvation”, he added.

Khalid Nawaz said that the overseas jobs were very important in government efforts to reduce poverty but the UAE’s ban on Pakistani manpower exports is undermining the government’s efforts. “Our government should negotiate with the UAE authorities to lift the ban.

He mentioned that as a result of the current government’s efforts, about 7.0 million Pakistani workers were sent abroad in 2019 for jobs. “Among these, 96% workers were landed in Gulf Counties and majority of them found employment in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates”, he added saying more that due to recent ban on receiving of Pakistani manpower by UAE, we are facing decline in overseas job opportunities coupled with its related problems.

He said if the UAE government does not lift the ban on import of Pakistani workers soon, it would swell the un-employment and poverty in addition to harming our economy. He appealed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan to immediately hold fruitful talks with UAE to resolve this problem at an earliest to avoid these problems. “Overseas Pakistani workers not only help improving the economy of the country but also reduce un-employment and poverty, he mentioned. Given the gravity of the issue, the Pakistani government needs to take immediate action and it must talk with UAE authorities to lift ban on import of Pakistani workers into UAE.

He also pleaded for overseas employment promoters and said that despite various hurdles and challenges of the international labour market and locally faced impediments, overseas employment promoters of Pakistan have did very well who helped millions of people to get employment in various countries including Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE and other Gulf countries. “The government should resolve the problems being faced by these OEPs to enable them work with more efficiency and concentration in lessening poverty and un-employment from our dear home land”, he demanded.