Overseas Pakistanis suffer land grabbing of properties back home

Almost 10 million Pakistanis, who are living abroad, lack support from the country's diplomatic missions in their respective countries and have to suffer many problems like land grabbing of properties back home, a report submitted by a Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development says.

As per the report, the overseas Pakistanis, who contribute over 18.45 billion USD to the national economy, have to face corrupt practices at all levels in the country.

They are easily exploited and abused by immigration officials, fake visa agents, job promoters and human traffickers, the Express Tribune reports.

The main problem faced by them is the seizure of their properties in Pakistan by criminal elements.

The report says, "Properties of overseas Pakistanis are encroached (upon in Pakistan) and no department extends the desired help, while court cases take (a) long (time to settle) and cannot be pursued, while overseas Pakistanis reside abroad."

The report pointed out that favouritism and political appointments at Pakistani embassies are one of the main reasons for mounting complaints by the Pakistanis abroad about Pakistani diplomats' disinterest in redressing their grievances.

The report also says that officials at the Pakistani embassies in foreign countries are compromising their integrity and functioning on merit.

The document also states that Pakistanis living abroad faced problems on NADRA-related issues and other official procedures such as renewal of passports and issuance of visas.

The report submitted by the Senate panel has urged the government to issue directives to the respective ministries to tackle the issues including illegal human trafficking by agents, exploitation by fake recruiting agencies for issuance of visas, ignorance of host country laws by recruited workers. (ANI)