Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Mr. Sajid Hussain Turi showed his deep concern over the issue of more than 300 Pakistanis been imprisoned in Iraq due to either illegal immigration or overstay on expired visa. The government of Pakistan has taken many positive steps in the past to curb this issue. Mr. Turi said that the ministry is currently making numerous efforts to promote legal migration channels in order to facilitate Pakistanis wishing to find employment abroad. He expressed that the ministry will very soon present thousands of employment opportunities for Pakistanis in a legal way that would not only provide dignified employment to our people but will also increase remittances for the country.
He said that it was very unfortunate that few Pakistanis made their way to Iraq through illegal ways and that he would make all efforts to ensure safe deportation of these people. He further told that most of these people belong to areas that don’t have good employment opportunities; some of these are Parachinar, Hafizabad, Wazirabad, etc. Such incidents post a bad image of the country and results in larger loss of the Pakistani people in the shape of visa denials considering the fact that Pakistan is one of the countries with highest influx of Muslim pilgrims in Iraq.
He concluded that the ministry will make all possible efforts for safe return of these imprisoned overseas and ensure that such incidents don’t repeat. He also said that it is the duty of the local leaders, teachers, religious leaders, and intellectuals to inculcate wisdom among the masses to not engage in such acts.
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