• Announces revival of ‘green channel’ at points of entry, tax remissions, educational quotas for overseas Pakistanis
• Special courts to be set up in capital for swift resolution of their legal cases; FBR to treat diaspora as ‘filers’
• Army chief praises non-resident Pakistanis, says they are example of ‘brain gain, not brain drain’
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday announced a series of incentives for overseas Pakistanis, including special courts, tax remissions, job quotas, and skill development opportunities to acknowledge their contributions to the country’s development.
Addressing the Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad, the prime minister said the government will also operationalise the ‘green channel’ facility in the next couple of weeks.
In February this year, the premier had said that the Green Channel initiative was a groundbreaking programme to “facilitate smooth immigration and customs processes for overseas Pakistanis”.
Attended by over 1,200 Pakistani expatriates from across the globe, the convention highlighted the contributions of more than 10 million overseas Pakistanis, whom the prime minister described as “the pride of the nation”.
The PM also announced the establishment of special courts for the speedy disposal of cases concerning overseas Pakistanis. The prime minister announced that the special court for overseas Pakistanis had already been established in Islamabad and would be extended to all provinces for the swift resolution of legal cases filed by the expatriates.
PM Shehbaz said the facility of recording of evidence on video link in Pakistan’s missions abroad would also be made available.
In addition to the e-filing of the cases, an amendment to change the civil courts procedure to prevent fictitious litigation against overseas Pakistanis will be brought immediately, he said.
PM Shehbaz also announced quotas in educational institutions, including a five per cent quota in all chartered universities (out of 10,000 seats) for the children of overseas Pakistanis, 5pc in the federal capital’s degree-awarding institutes, and 15pc in medical colleges.
Overseas Pakistanis will now be considered filers by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), enabling relief in banking and business transaction taxes. Moreover, the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission will offer 5,000 skill development courses to the children of expatriates, he said.
Moreover, the prime minister said that the federal government had granted a five-year age relaxation for male overseas job applicants and a seven-year relaxation for overseas women to apply for government jobs. Besides, special facilitation offices have been set up by the Boards of Revenue in Punjab and Balochistan, with efforts underway to replicate the initiative in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Azad Kashmir.
He also praised Punjab’s digital reforms, including online sales deed registration, and announced that the system would be piloted at the Pakistani High Commission in London and later in other missions worldwide.
He lauded the overseas community for their unwavering support for Pakistan’s economy, particularly noting the record $4.1 billion remittances were sent in March. It is estimated that by the end of this fiscal year, the remittances will surpass $38 billion, exceeding the country’s total exports, he said.
He announced that every year on August 14, outstanding overseas Pakistanis would be awarded civil awards based on remittance contributions, as tracked by the State Bank. The diplomatic missions and the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) will submit their nominations for the purpose, he added.
Addressing the resurgence of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the prime minister stressed the need to recognise the sacrifices of soldiers who sacrifice their lives to protect the country. He condemned the narratives on social media targeting the military, urging the nation to counter such propaganda through logic and patriotism. He also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to the Kashmir and Gaza causes.
‘Brain gain, not drain’
Chief of Army Chief Gen Asim Munir also spoke on the occasion. He praised the overseas Pakistanis for their dedication and commitment towards the nation.
“Those who promote the narrative of brain drain should know that this is not a brain drain but a brain gain, and the overseas Pakistanis are the finest example of that,” he said.
“Do Pakistan’s enemies think that a handful of terrorists can decide the fate of Pakistan?” he said, adding that “even ten generations of terrorists cannot harm Balochistan and Pakistan”.
According to the army chief, “As long as the brave people of this country stand with the Pakistan Armed Forces, your army can easily face every difficulty.”
“Today we are giving this clear message together that whatever stands in the way of Pakistan’s progress, we will remove that obstacle together,” he added.
He also condemned Israel’s military aggression in Gaza, expressing solidarity with Palestinians under bombardment in the territory. “The hearts of Pakistanis beat in unison with the Muslims of Gaza,” he added.
Overseas Pakistanis Foundation Chairman Syed Qamar Raza said that PM Shehbaz positively responded to 14 key demands of overseas Pakistanis and formed a high-powered committee under Deputy PM Ishaq Dar. He stressed the important role of the diaspora, spread across 160 countries, and confirmed that a mega overseas convention would be held annually every April.
