Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir, Shehryar Khan Afridi, has urged overseas Pakistanis to become ambassadors of Kashmir and lobby in their respective host countries for the Kashmir dispute.
He expressed these views while addressing participants of the first-ever Overseas Pakistanis Convention 2022. The event was held under the aegis of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir in collaboration with the Overseas Pakistanis Global Foundation (OPGF) and Graana.com.
“The future belongs to Pakistan. Prime Minister Imran Khan is working hard to revive the country’s economy but it would take some time to clear the 70-year mess. For the first time in the history of Pakistan, overseas Pakistanis have been hosted by the government, and efforts are being made to resolve their problems,” said Shehryar Afridi.
He also said that all stakeholders were responsible for supporting and facilitating overseas Pakistanis irrespective of their political leaning, and that officials from all government departments were attending the Overseas Pakistanis Convention to understand and address issues faced by overseas Pakistanis.
“The participation of federal ministers and government officials reflects the commitment of the government for overseas Pakistanis,” Afridi told the convention.
Addressing the audience, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Farrukh Habib, said that Shehryar Afridi had always been active to facilitate overseas Pakistanis and resolve their issues.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan has made sure that the problems of overseas Pakistanis – like registering their votes, succession certificates, getting their ID cards and passport – are resolved within hours,” added Farrukh.
He further said that the overseas Pakistanis had gotten Roshan Digital Accounts of US$ 3 billion within days of its launch, and that the government had created a social safety net to help the poor meet challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Minister for Science and Technology, Shibli Faraz, said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had a special vision to facilitate overseas Pakistanis. He also informed that the PTI government was committed to facilitating overseas Pakistanis who “are one of the assets of the country”.
Dr. Maham Malik, a young overseas Pakistani, shared her views as a youth living abroad. Dr. Abdullah Riar, General Secretary of the PTI Overseas Pakistanis chapter, shared his views on PTI’s role in boosting and organizing overseas Pakistanis.
He said that the price hike was a global phenomenon and Prime Minister Imran Khan was working day in and day out to help pull the country out of the economic crunch. Dr. Abdullah further said that the image of Pakistan had been transformed for the better over the past three years.
Chairman Emarat group and Graana.com, Shafique Akbar, said that OPVS was the most advanced system to online verify land to help property business.
“Pakistan can become the fastest developing country in the world if overseas Pakistanis come and invest in Pakistan. US$ 25 billion have been invested in Pakistan and overseas Pakistanis should replicate good experiences that they learn overseas in Pakistan,” Shafique Akbar stressed.
Senior Hurriyat leader, Ghulam Mohammad Safi, said that a genuine struggle for the right of self-determination could not be confused with terrorism. He lauded Chairman Kashmir Committee, Shehryar Khan Afridi, for raising awareness about Kashmir among overseas Pakistanis.
Senior officials of State Bank, SECP, Nadra, FBR, Passport, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Commerce, and others briefed overseas Pakistanis on steps taken by the PTI government to facilitate Pakistanis living abroad.
