Dubai, May 27: Welfare of the community was on top of their minds as Pakistanis got together for the second session of the Overseas Pakistanis Forum in Dubai on Wednesday.
Held under the chairmanship of Pakistan’s Ambassador-at-large Javed Malik, it was attended by leading members of the community, businessmen, women and youth.
Present on the occasion to answer questions were Managing Director of Overseas Pakistanis Foundation Habib ur Rehman, Consul-General of Pakistan Amjad Sher Ali and other senior OPF and Pakistan Consulate officials.
Javed Malik gave a detailed presentation on the issues facing the community, followed by a lively question-and-answer session for three hours with people from all walks of life expressing their views openly and highlighting the problems they were facing.
“It is not possible to understand the issues of overseas Pakistanis while sitting in plush offices in Islamabad, and therefore through this Forum we provide an opportunity for the officials to interact directly with the community,’’ said Javed Malik, who is the founder of the Overseas Pakistanis Forum.
“The OPF and the ministry has to take the lead role in finding solutions to the problems being faced by the expatriate Pakistanis. Enough has been said in the past and it’s now time to take action.
“I will continue to exert as much pressure as I can through both the forum as well as with my presence on the Board of Governors of the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation.”
The Managing Director, the top official of the government body that was established for the welfare of the expatriate community, was asked a host of questions by representatives. He assured them he would do everything possible to come up with some concrete proposals. This would be put before the Board of Governors at its next meeting and would focus on education, health and welfare, improving facilities at airports, as well as initiating special projects tailor-made for overseas Pakistani businessmen. It will also include housing schemes for overseas Pakistanis.
The forum will hold its meeting regularly and all points raised during the first two sessions would be reviewed for implementation at the next session.
“We will publish a report which would take account of the working of the forum, and document the proposals that have been raised in the first two sessions and forwarded to the government on behalf of the UAE-based Pakistanis so that we can review the progress and take account of what has been achieved,” said Malik.
Consul-General Amjad Ali Sher answered questions on facilities available through the Pakistani Consulate in Dubai and said every effort would be made to ensure the community benefits.
Senator Gul Memon Lot appreciated the work being done by the community and said he would do his best to make expatriates’ voice heard in parliament.
–Agencies