Gulf employers not hiring Pakistanis due to ‘deplorable standard’

• Senate panel told Middle Eastern markets turning to Bangladeshis, other nationals for labour needs
• Secretary paints bleak picture, says around half of crime rate among UAE labourers attributed to Pakistanis

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ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis was informed that the deplorable standards of Pakistani workforce, particularly in the Gulf region, has led Gulf employers to shift their preferences to hire workers from other regional countries, such as Bangladesh, rather than Pakistan.

The Senate committee meeting, led by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada, emphasized that the government was disregarding the opportunities in this area.

Following criticism from committee members about the government’s failure to capitalize on the potential of the Pakistani diaspora, Dr Arshad Mahmood, secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, painted a bleak picture of Pakistan’s labor force in Gulf countries.

He said that Pakistanis account for 50% of the crime rate in the UAE work force.

The committee was also informed that UAE officials had lately raised worry about certain Pakistanis’ improper conduct in their country, which included filming films of women in Dubai without their knowledge.

According to the ministry’s secretary, there is a downward trend in international employment for Pakistani workers since, despite technological advancements, a large section of the Pakistani workforce remains unskilled.

The committee was informed that due to a lack of resources and skill development in the Pakistani labor force, Pakistani workers have been replaced by workers from other nations.

Dr Mahmood stated that skilled labor forces in nations such as Bangladesh serve as an inspiration, and Pakistan should follow suit.

According to the secretary, the Pakistani diaspora numbers 10.7 million people, the majority of whom work in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

The secretary informed the committee that the governments of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait had expressed concerns about different issues involving Pakistanis living abroad.

The Senate committee was informed that in September of last year, organized gangs of Pakistani beggars were discovered working in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, where they had traveled as pilgrims.

The majority of these people travel Saudi Arabia on Umrah visas, and Saudi police say that 90% of all beggars detained in the nation are Pakistanis.

Senator Nasir Abbas, a committee member, raised the problem of Pakistanis working illegally in Iraq and questioned whether the ministry could assist them, citing the fact that they are frequently mistreated.

Senator Zeeshan Khanzada stated that a number of Pakistanis were residing illegally in Italy, but they identified as non-Pakistanis, despite the fact that the Pakistan Embassy identified them as Pakistani nationals. He urged that the government take a proactive approach to gathering information and providing assistance to stranded Pakistanis.