Pakistan Muslim League (PML) Chariman and former premier Senator Ch Shujat Hussain on Wednesday commended the services of overseas Pakistanis for promoting a positive image of Pakistan.
A delegation of overseas Pakistanis called upon the former premier at his residence and expressed its gratitude to him for rendering valuable services and taking historical measures for overseas Pakistanis during his tenure.
The delegation included Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) member Sajeel Kiyani, Kashmiri leader Mushtaq Awani, Presidential Award Winner for Unity Lord MK Pasha, EU Pak Belgium Chairman Parvez Iqbal Lohsar, political leader Abdullah Butt, President Press Club Belgium Nadeem Butt, PML-Nawaz Berlin Germany Vice President Haji Ghulam Khan, Asad Pagganwala, PML-N Germany’s Rafi Khan, Haroon Rashid Ghumman Germany and Representative for Jang GEO for Spain Shafqat Ali Raza. Former provincial education minister Mian Imran Masood was also present.
The delegation members said that the facility of taking any Pakistani’s body from Europe and anywhere else in the world to his residence without any payment was a historical step taken by Shujat because previously donations had to be collected for this purpose. Expressing gratitude to the delegation, Shujat said that services of overseas Pakistanis for promoting positive image of Pakistan were highly commendable. He said the voice of overseas Pakistanis was very prominent in matters of boosting foreign exchange reserves and contesting the case of Pakistan at the international level.
Shujat said overseas Pakistanis feel the effect of any crisis in Pakistan, and had have never been ignorant about the situation back home. He said the commission being constituted in Punjab for overseas Pakistanis comprises of DCOs and DOPs who had not solved the problems of the people of Pakistan so how could they solve the problems of overseas Pakistanis, he questioned.
Shujat said Pakistanis in Europe and elsewhere in the world were one nation. He told the delegation members that they were the identity and ambassadors of Pakistan.
Hussain questioned whether the convention organised by the Punjab Government was only for overseas Pakistanis from Punjab and were those hailing from other provinces not overseas Pakistanis. “What message is being given to other provinces through this step,” asked Shujat, adding that crores of rupees were spent on this convention.
He said that safeguarding the properties in the country of overseas Pakistanis was essential and the Supreme Court was making headway in this matter. The government should also seriously consider the problems of overseas Pakistanis, he said.
