Dubai: The first Overseas Pakistani Council (OPC) was announced on Monday in Dubai in a bid to solve issues faced by the Pakistani expatriate community.
The 135-member council, which includes 25 people from the UAE, will work under the Overseas Pakistani Foundation (OPF) — a dedicated organisation to assist non-resident Pakistanis (NRPs) and their families back home.
“The council has been formed to bridge the gap between the government and the NRPs as most people were unable to reach the officials concerned to get their issues solved,” said Barrister Amjad Malik, chairman of OPF Board of Governors.
He said there was miscommunication and a yawning gap between NRPs and the government officials as the expatriates were unable to reach the authorities concerned back home in case of any problems. “The new council comprises people who also live abroad and are easily accessible to the community in case they have any complaints or want help,” he added. More than eight million Pakistanis live abroad.
Jawed Hassan, Consul-General of Pakistan in Dubai, and Chaudhry Noorul Hassan Tanveer, Dubai-based member of the OPF Board of Governors, were also present at the event. The selected council members from Gulf countries were given membership certificates at the ceremony.
“You are our eyes and ears abroad and we will take feedback from you regarding issues and complaints of NRPs in your respective countries,” said Malik. The council members were also asked to prepare recommendations based on the feedback from the community to be presented at the OPF Convention scheduled to be held in Islamabad in December this year.
Malik said that the council members would work in close coordination with the community welfare counsellors at the Pakistani missions abroad.
He said that some of the common complaints received from the NRPs are related to illegal grabbing of their property back home, monetary fraud, harassment, and lack of education facilities for their children.
He said the OPF would soon launch its schools abroad and as a pilot project, it would take over Pakistan School in Fujairah to provide quality education to the expatriate community in the UAE.
He said that they have also recommended to the Pakistan government to offer speedy trials in NRPs’ cases, especially related to the illegal occupation of their property.
Malik said the OPF would increase the quota of seats in schools and colleges for NRPs’ children and also arrange internship facilities for them in addition to scholarships worth Rs100 million [Dh3.5 million] for deserving students.
He said that the OPF has launched a revamped website with a section for online complaints and facilities on offer. There is also a helpline number given on the website — opf.gov.pk.
