Large majority of stranded expatriates belong to KP, Sartaj told

ISLAMABAD: In the ongoing crisis of the expatriates from various countries including Pakistan stranded in Saudi Arabia due to their employer companies declaring themselves bankrupt, a large number of the people belong to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province whose families have greatest dependence on the remittances that pour in through them.

The parliamentary delegation from KP led by provincial assembly speaker also comprised of two Jamaat-e-Islami ministers Enayatullah Khan and Muzaffar Said, MPAs Arshad Khan Umarzai (QWP), Sahibzada Sanaullah (PPP) Aurangzeb Naluta (PML-N) and MNA Aqifullah Khan met Adviser to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz.

The members of delegation briefed the adviser in detail about the number of the Pakistani immigrants in Saudi Arabia from different parts of poverty and war-hit KP and the dependency of the families of these workers on their remittances. They also informed Sartaj Aziz of the threat posed to the socio-economic conditions of these respective areas in case of the stoppages of the stranded workers’ remittances.

It was informed that the number of such workers was in millions from KP of whom thousands were in jails for no fault of theirs while hundreds of thousands stranded without wages and even foods in different camps in the far flung areas of Saudi Arabia.

They also asked the Foreign Office to facilitate these immigrants in getting their passports renewed easily by increasing the staff deputed and the centres established for such purposes. They said that the federal government must take up the issues of these workers with regard to the renewal of their iqamas and performance of Haj during their stays there.

The Foreign Office briefed the delegation in detail about the steps taken by the federal government to facilitate these workers and informed that not over 20 centres have been established for the purpose but these workers have been provided counsler’s legal and community welfare assistance on the one hand while on the other hand their issues have been taken at the highest level with Saudi authorities. It was due to these efforts that the food supply and iqamas problem of these workers has been totally resolved while on the one hand the prime minister has released special funds for the assistance of their families while on the other hand the Saudi authorities are also making efforts they receive their arrears from their respective companies.

Through the resolution the KP Assembly urged the federal government to take up the problems of Pakistani emigrant workers with the authorities of Saudi Arabia. The resolution expresses grave concern over the plight of the Pakistani emigrant workers in Saudi Arabia and thus calls upon the federal government to take up the matter with Saudi authorities at the highest level in order to resolve their stay and salaries arrears issues. Sartaj Aziz assured that the concerns of the KP Assembly would be taken up both with the prime minister, the immigration authorities and also with Saudi kingdom.