ISLAMABAD: The overseas Pakistanis and human resource development ministry has decided to send intended Pakistani workers and professionals abroad for free, said minister Sajid Hussain Turi.

“The ministry will soon send the summary of fee [ranging from Rs50,000 to Rs100,000] abolition to the cabinet for approval,” he said while presiding over a meeting on Friday where they decided to abolish the cost.

“Protector offices will be established soon in Bannu, Abbottabad, Sukkur, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Licenses of overseas promoters pending for three years were also issued.”

The minister directed the digitisation of the protector office to make the process of protector faster, transparent and easier.

The federal secretary, director generals of the bureau of immigration, overseas employment corporation and other senior officers briefed the huddle on overseas employment.

A summary would be prepared soon to fill the vacant posts so that the efficiency of the institutions could be improved, he said, adding that strict action would be taken against officials involved in “illegal activities and corruption”.

The minister urged the community welfare attachés to improve their performance for the welfare of expatriates. Moreover, an online meeting of all community welfare attaches would be held every fortnight to review the performance.

“I will not tolerate any negligence regarding the complaints of overseas Pakistanis,” he said and urged the welfare attache to provide easy access to Pakistanis living abroad for solving their problems and welfare. “The ministry’s doors are always open for all kinds of cooperation and problems of overseas Pakistanis.”

An online complaint portal was being established for overseas Pakistanis, he said. “Opportunities will be found in different countries for the export of OEC Pakistani manpower.”

Hussain also hinted at initiating training and foreign language classes for OEC manpower export.