CM Buzdar appoints UK doctor to lead Punjab Overseas Commission

LONDON: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has appointed Dr Shahid Mehmood as Vice Chairperson of the Punjab Overseas Commission (POC) to deal with the issue of overseas Pakistanis.

Dr Mehmood's appointment has been confirmed in a notification issued by the Chief Minister House. Dr Shahid Mehmood was appointed following the de-notification of Syed Tariq Mahmood-ul-Hassan in the same position last week following Mr Makhdoom's appointment as Prime Minister Imran Khan's Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis (SAPM).

Dr. Shahid Mehmood thanked Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief Minister of Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, and SAPM Syed Tariq Mehmood ul Hassan for entrusting him with the responsibility of serving Pakistanis living abroad.

He said: "I will do my best to assist the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister, and the SAPM to resolve problems and challenges faced by overseas Pakistanis. As an overseas Pakistani, I have a deep insight into the challenges faced by overseas Pakistanis, and our doors are always open for Pakistanis living abroad."

Dr Shahid Mehmood, who is an old Ravian and graduated from Nishtar Medical College, said that overseas Pakistanis contribute tremendously to the economy of Pakistan. He said: "In line with the vision of PM Khan and CM Punjab, I would engage with the overseas Pakistanis in all parts of the world through virtual contact and direct visits. As a health professional with exposure to the world’s best health systems and institutions, I will leave no stone unturned in serving the overseas Pakistanis through the Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission."

Dr Shahid Mehmood said he had gained great insight into how to resolve issues and complex situations. "As an overseas Pakistani myself who has faced issues in Pakistan, I can completely relate to how Pakistanis living abroad feel and the issues they go through on a daily basis. I will be working day and night to connect with the overseas Pakistanis as that’s what PM Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister want me to do in my role."

Dr Shahid Mehmood said that he has delivered lectures as a guest speaker on the topics of maternal neurology in medical colleges in Pakistan. He added: "I have organised several medical camps in the rural areas of Punjab to serve the destitute.

Dr Shahid Mehmood is the first Pakistani who has done masters in health economics, policy and management from the London School of Economics (LSE). Prior to taking up this position, he was working as a consultant neurologist in West Yorkshire, UK. He also remained the head of the NHS Forum at the Conservative Friends of Pakistan, and he has worked with the World Congress of Pakistanis (WCOP).

Dr. Mehmood has also engaged with the Association of Pakistani Physicians & Surgeons, UK as the focal person for the Overseas Pakistanis Commission Punjab as Makhdoom Tariq’s team.

The main objectives of the Overseas Pakistanis Commission include the welfare of overseas Pakistanis, addressing their genuine complaints which fall within the provisions of the Provincial Government, protection from land grabbing and similar other hazards, facilitation of their investments, removing hurdles, and assisting in policy decisions on the basis of suggestions received from overseas Pakistanis.