LAHORE - Provincial Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan has said that the proposed Provincial Commissionerate for the Overseas Pakistani would boost the morale of the overseas Pakistanis and the commissionerate would work under the act of the parliament.
Addressing a media briefing regarding the Overseas Pakistanis Convention at the 90-Shahrah-i-Quaid-i-Azam here on Sunday, he said the terms of reference regarding the provincial commissionerate for the overseas Pakistani would be finalised after proposals from the participants of the convention to be held today (Monday) and chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
The minister who is also the Chairman of the Cabinet Committee for the reception of the Overseas Pakistanis was flanked by the Provincial Minister for Prisons Abdul Waheed Arian and other members of the reception committee.
Mashhood said some 400 community leaders out of some 5 million expatriates across the world have reached the provincial metropolis to take part in the first-ever Overseas Pakistanis Convention, adding that these community leaders have been invited without any political discrimination and their selection has been made due to their social service and role in promoting foreign investment the country.
The minister said the 5 million overseas Pakistanis have always stood by their country in the face of natural calamities or other challenges and their heart beat with their motherland adding that they have always pleaded the case for Pakistan in all parts of the world.
He said the community leaders would point out the problems faced by the overseas Pakistanis and propose the remedy so that the remedial measures could be initiated by the government.
He said the participants of the convention would highlight the real face of the country abroad, expressing the hope that the community leaders also help the government in developing the largest resource for Paksitan in business, sports, education and overseas employment.
Mashood said it is a matter of pride for the PML-N that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has set a new tradition of acknowledging the services of the overseas Pakistanis officially through a platform like the Overseas Pakistanis Convention, adding that Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and the whole nation welcome the overseas Pakistanis to the gates of Lahore.
He said above fifty thousand Pakistanis each reside in over 57 countries and the government has focused to invite maximum representatives from these countries as well.
To a question, the minister said the vacancy for the commissioner Punjab Overseas Pakistanis has been advertised, adding that the commissioner would be a non-political overseas Pakistani.
To another query, he said the mechanism has been designed for the redressal of the complaints and problesm of the overseas Pakistanis in the commissionerate. A committee under the chairmanship of the Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan has been working on the legislation of the commissionerate while the Punjab Information Technology Board has prepared a software for the online complaints cell, he added.
To a question, he said district committee are also being set up for the resolution of the property disputes and other plaints of the overseas Pakistani while its scope will be finalized after consultation with the participants of the convention.