COVID-19: Govt decides to provide employment to sacked overseas Pakistanis

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Friday has decided to provide employment to the dismissed Overseas Pakistanis and have prepared a special portal to facilitate unemployed returning nationals.

Registration began on the website of Overseas Employment Cooperation for the dismissed Overseas Pakistanis, under which those who have lost their jobs and have returned home from abroad will be able to get re-employment.

Also read: PM Imran approves resumption of international flights: sources

On Twitter, Premier's Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari shared the registration link while explaining that through the platform, returning Pakistanis would be able to apply for re-employment abroad, certified training and can also register for financial assistance from the government.

It is pertinent to note that due to the global pandemic thousands of Pakistanis working abroad have returned home unemployed.

According to the sources, Bukahri had earlier said that nearly 200,000 Pakistanis working abroad have become unemployed due to the coronavirus.

It is the need of the hour that we stand with them and help them in every way possible Bukhari had said, adding that a NCOC meeting should be called to review the matter.

PM Imran approved resumption of international flights

Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan had approved the resumption of international flights after Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari raised the matter with him, sources had informed Geo News.

According to the sources, the matter was discussed in a federal cabinet meeting where Bukhari had briefed the members on the difficulties and hardships faced by overseas Pakistanis.

The prime minister, while green lighting the resumption of international flights, asked the relevant authorities to devise a plan of action to repatriate Pakistanis stranded abroad.

At the initial stage, the flights will only operate from Gulf countries and after the safe repatriation of Pakistanis stranded there, those from other countries will be brought back as well, the sources said.

Those rendered unemployed and labourers will be brought in the first phase, they had added.

The premier, while stressing on the importance of overseas Pakistanis, had said that they were close to his heart and that they could not be left alone at such pressing times.

Millions of overseas Pakistanis have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic, he said, adding that "we understand the pain that they are going through".

The premier had assured the cabinet that the Pakistani government would do everything possible to help the stranded Pakistanis.