Zeeshan Khanzada advocates Voting Rights, Health Coverage, Tax Relief, & Vehicle Import facility for Overseas Pakistanis
Urges Diaspora Inclusion in Policy-Making and Swift Finalization of Prisoner Transfer Agreements
ISLAMABAD, May 8 (EPI): The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, chaired by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada, convened to review multiple key initiatives, including foreign employment opportunities, healthcare access for overseas Pakistanis, and progress on prisoner transfer agreements with various countries.
The Committee was briefed on ongoing dialogue with Belarus aimed at expanding employment prospects for Pakistani workers. Discussions are currently at the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) stage, with formal recruitment to begin once Belarusian industries specify workforce requirements. The Ministry confirmed that no concrete demand or skill data has been received from Belarus thus far, although opportunities exist across a range of sectors.
Senator Zeeshan Khanzada stressed the need to identify the target workforce segment—whether engineers or semi-skilled workers—and called for clear mechanisms to distinguish between skilled and unskilled worker categories to simplify visa processing. He emphasized that both Western and Eastern Europe present promising employment opportunities and urged the government to strategically capitalise on emerging avenues.
During the meeting, Senator Khanzada reiterated his commitment to facilitating the overseas community, vowing to work towards granting overseas Pakistanis the right to vote. He also proposed the formulation of a comprehensive strategy to extend Sehat Sahulat coverage to Pakistani labourers abroad and their entitled family members residing in Pakistan. He urged the government to include diaspora representatives in the Prime Minister’s task force constituted to facilitate overseas Pakistanis and attract investment in the country.
The Committee also received a briefing on the Sehat Sahulat Program, which currently benefits over 200 million individuals across AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan. Efforts are underway to extend the program to Sindh. The initiative, available in both public and private hospitals, also covers overseas Pakistanis. However, only treatments conducted at partner hospitals are eligible for reimbursement due to system limitations.
Senator Khanzada raised questions about a separate health initiative launched in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and whether it covers treatment abroad. The Ministry clarified that the KPK program is still under discussion and not yet implemented.
The Committee was further briefed on the recent Overseas Pakistani Convention, which was attended by over 1,200 participants. It was informed that the convention aimed to strengthen engagement with the diaspora. The Prime Minister issued 18 directions, and a task force has been given one month to devise a holistic strategy addressing key issues, including remittances, investment, skilled labour export, and facilitation services for overseas Pakistanis. Although deliberations were held on mobile phone allowances for overseas Pakistanis, no announcement was made due to budget constraints and ongoing IMF negotiations.
Senator Khanzada reiterated his earlier stance and directed authorities to facilitate overseas Pakistanis by exempting them from duties and withholding tax on mobile phones, and also proposed to allow the import of at least one used car (up to 1600cc) per overseas Pakistani for personal use.
Members also discussed longstanding land encroachment issues related to the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), including a 30-year-old case involving 107 illegally occupied plots, of which possession has now been reclaimed. Senator Zeeshan Khanzada recommended a separate detailed briefing on all land and court-related matters to be reviewed in the next meeting, along with updates on taxation issues involving the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Additionally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior briefed the Committee on the status of prisoner transfer agreements. Pakistan has signed such agreements with Azerbaijan, China, Iran, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. Repatriations have taken place under several of these agreements, including 14 prisoners from Iran, 27 from Saudi Arabia, 97 from Sri Lanka, and 47 from Thailand.
Senator Khanzada called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to expedite the finalisation of pending prisoner transfer agreements, enabling Pakistani prisoners to serve their remaining sentences in Pakistan under the prevailing laws. He also sought comprehensive details of Pakistani prisoners detained in Iran, Iraq, and other countries, which will be discussed in the next meeting.
In response to queries from Senator Raja Nasir Abbas and the Committee Chairman regarding Pakistani prisoners in Iraq, it was revealed that although an MoU exists, no substantive progress has been made. Senator Zeeshan Khanzada voiced serious concern over the lack of consular and legal assistance for imprisoned Pakistanis abroad. “Our consular support issue is serious. It hasn’t received proper focus, and we must move forward in this area,” he stated.
He also asked whether any prisoner transfers had been delayed due to insufficient capacity in Pakistan. The Ministry of Interior confirmed that while capacity constraints exist, no transfer has been delayed on this account.
In his concluding remarks, Senator Khanzada urged all stakeholders to expedite finalisation of pending prisoner transfer agreements and strengthen institutional mechanisms to support overseas Pakistanis.
The meeting was attended by Senators Gurdeep Singh, Shahadat Awan, Raja Nasir Abbas, and senior officials from the concerned ministries and departments.
Ends-Exact Press International-Abid Ali