- Let’s see if the present government succeeds
Let me soften the blow before I move on to hype created by the jibber-jabber on 100,000 job visas to Pakistani labourers. Qatar not only has the third largest gas reserves but prior to its exploration, the country relied on pearl hunting and sea trade. Later discovered reserves have placed this country in a position to invest abroad, that to like a boss. It is evident from a recent report which mentioned Qatar’s interest to raise investments by 45 billion US dollars in next years in the United States of America alone. It was intended to rebalance its portfolio of assets away from Europe. Qatar Investment Authority already has 30 billion US dollars in US market. The country didn’t need to pull out investments from Europe, but it is in such a position to make new in US. So, there is a hope and it’s a fact that the country is self reliant in terms of capital. It might cushion the blow further that Qatar and Pakistan bilateral trade volume reported an around 100 percent increase from 2016 to 2017. Furthermore, Pakistan registered 70 percent increase in its food exports to Qatar.
Now that it has cushioned the blow, it comes as a surprise when we realise that 100,000 job visas offered to Pakistanis recently – is neither first of kind offer nor it has ever been materialised.
Whenever our prime ministers meet Qatar’s top brass, they come home with the same gift that latter has presented a couple of times ago also. Back in 2015, Pakistan was training 200,000 nationals to serve as blue-collar workers in Qatar in pursuit of infrastructural development for 2022 World Cup. It was offered after the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had made an appeal to allow further inflow of skilled workers in Qatar. At that time Qatar had one hundred thousand Pakistani nationals who were serving as blue-collar and white-collar workers in the country. With, another two hundred thousand, the number was expected to triple. However, Qatar formally offered 100,000 job visas to Pakistanis when Nawaz Sharif met Qatari leadership in February 2016.But when our current Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi met his counterpart from Qatar in New York last September, the former offered 100,000 job visas to semi-skilled and skilled workers from Pakistan. That again was celebrated with great pomp and show, later in October Prime Minister Imran Khan during his meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Qatar reminded the delegation to fulfill their promise which they made with SMQ on the sidelines on UN General Assembly. In November 2018, President of Pakistan Arif Alvi appreciates Qatar’s decision to hire 100,000 skilled workers from Pakistan.
When our current Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi met his counterpart from Qatar in New York last September, the former offered 100,000 job visas to semi-skilled and skilled workers from Pakistan
Later in December, Qatari envoy announces 100,000 jobs for Pakistanis in addition to providing education to one million out-of-school children in Pakistan. Fortunately, the process seems to start finally with opening of visa facilitation centres in the country. Although if we look at the demographics of Qatar, the country is home to 2.7 million people approximately. Qatar nationals make less than 15 percent of the total population, followed by other Arabs that constitute 13 percent, Indians consume 24 percent, Nepalese make 16 percent, Filipino 11 percent, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka consumer five percent each. As per the number of times we have come across this announcement in Pakistan, Pakistanis lie anywhere between 10 to 20 percent. Although there is no hard evidence to support it because it’s obvious that Pakistan is still urging to have the same very old promise fulfilled by Qatar. The take home lesson from this offer of Qatar is countries won’t help with financial grants further, it’s high time that Pakistan sets it’s strategic economic agenda in place. Otherwise, we shall have nothing more to celebrate other than announcing the same promises again and again. For those who think the credit goes to Nawaz Sharif for this initiative must realise that the same government failed in materialising the workforce deal. Let’s see if the current government succeeds in persuading Qatari administration for these blue-collar and white collar jobs.
