Islamabad, The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) emphasizes the pivotal role of remittances from Overseas Pakistanis in bolstering the country's economic foundation. Faad Waheed, the Acting President of ICCI, highlighted that these remittances surpass the total annual exports of goods and services, significantly augmenting the nation's foreign reserves. In a recent dialogue with Muhammad Jawad Sohrab Malik, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Waheed underscored the urgent need for the government to scout new global markets for manpower export.

Waheed pointed out that while Pakistan boasts the fifth-largest global population, it has yet to harness its abundant human resources adequately. The aim should be to empower this workforce with state-of-the-art skills and knowledge to enhance their global employment prospects. Drawing a parallel, Waheed noted that Bangladesh has successfully dispatched over 1,100,000 workers overseas in the fiscal year concluding in June 2023. In stark contrast, Pakistan managed to export a mere 372,000 manpower during the initial 11 months of the same fiscal year. He emphasized the growing demand for skilled labour in regions spanning the Middle East, Europe, and South East Asia, urging the government to equip its populace with in-demand skills, in turn strengthening national economic foundations.

In response, Muhammad Jawad Sohrab Malik reaffirmed the government's commitment to capitalize on the rich potential of Pakistan's expansive workforce. He relayed his recent proposition to the Saudi Ambassador, suggesting that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia employ a significant number of Pakistani workers, aligning with the Saudi Vision 2030. Malik remained confident in Pakistan's capacity to export up to one million workers annually to diverse markets and assured rigorous efforts towards achieving this benchmark to invigorate the national economy.

Further insights were shared by Asad Hafeez Kiyani, Shakeel Ahmed Abbasi, and Faheem Iqbal Chaudhry from the Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association. Collectively, they discussed potential strategies for opening new employment avenues for Pakistanis worldwide and pledged unwavering support to the government's endeavours in this domain. The information was revealed in a press release from the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI).