ISLAMABAD: December 18 has been decided as the day to acknowledge the contribution of 8.4 million Pakistanis working abroad in terms of sending home remittances.
The proposed celebration of the ‘National Overseas Pakistanis Day’ on December 18, every year, will be a source of encouragement for the Pakistani community abroad and highlight soft image of government departments, Grievance Commissioner for Overseas Pakistanis Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmed Khokhar said on Friday.
“During the last two years, the remittances sent by overseas Pakistanis have registered a significant increase from $11.2 billion to $19 billion at 18 % growth rate which is a valuable asset for country’s economy,” he said.
Hafiz Ahsaan said the Federal Ombudsman Secretariat had urged the officials of all the relevant departments and 116 Pakistani Missions abroad to make necessary arrangements for celebration of the day on December 18.
“The secretariat has also sought a list of some prominent personalities of Pakistani community and the best performer officials of every mission to give them acknowledgment certificates on the day through Skype meeting,” he added.
Hafiz Ahsaan said a meeting on the subject would be held at the Federal Ombudsman’s Secretariat on November 10 to finalise guidelines for celebration of the day.
Listing some other initiatives, Hafiz Ahsaan said the secretariat had taken various steps for welfare of overseas Pakistanis including developing a website for registering complaints, establishing one-window facilitation desks at eight international airports and hearing of complaints through video link.
