ISLAMABAD - Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Wednesday said the PTI government would always stand by overseas Pakistanis, especially the labour class.

In a tweet, he said that he was surprised at the letter written by some 'former bureaucrats' to the prime minister.

Fawad said the attitudes needed to be changed. The treatment given to ordinary people by our bureaucracy was absolutely not enviable, he said adding this was a common complaint and Pakistan embassies were not exempt from it.

The minister acknowledged that embassies, like any other department, had very good officers but stories could be written about how Pakistanis were treated in the past.   He said the credit went to Prime Minister Imran Khan who felt the pain of ordinary workers and now the embassies of Pakistan were accountable to their workers and ordinary citizens.

Earlier, Fawad Chaudhey in a video message urged the people to cooperate with the government and follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to stay safe from coronavirus pandemic.

He warned that if people would not comply with the SOPs, Pakistan could also face a situation similar to that in neighbouring India.  He, therefore, asked the people to adopt 'stay home and stay safe' policy during the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays. He said instead of visiting the relatives on the occasion of Eid, they should use the means of internet and phone for communication with them as this was important for the safety of everyone.

Fawad said the government had also imposed ban on intra-city transport to limit the mobility during Eid holidays. He also congratulated the farmers and government of Punjab on the highest production of 20 million metric tons of wheat in history.  

The agricultural economy had grown by Rs1,100 billion and this historic development was made possible despite the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic, he said in a statement.

"This development gives an idea of the potential of Pakistan's agricultural sector," he remarked.