The Pakistani government has said it is training some 200,000 of its nationals to work as blue-collar workers in Qatar to help build the Gulf country’s infrastructure in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup, according to media reports.
If the new initiative is successful, the number of Pakistani expats in Qatar would effectively triple over the next seven years.
Speaking to Pakistan Today, Provincial Labour Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar said that the country is developing a new initiative that would give employees vocational training, vaccinations, security clearance and basic English language lessons before they leave the country.
During a visit to Qatar in May, Sarwar apparently told the Qatari government that his country would also train future blue-collar workers to have an awareness of industrial safety and give them information about the dangers of human traffickers, as well as advice on how to avoid them.
Many laborers fall victim to unscrupulous manpower agencies who demand large payments for visas before the workers arrive in Qatar.
Sarwar said that two government committees have been established to make the process of finding jobs more transparent, and their work would include the provision of passports and visas for workers.
‘Not a bad paymaster’
Aside from the announcement of these efforts to combat human traffickers, the Pakistani minister did not comment on Qatar’s kafala sponsorship system and its restrictions on freedom of movement for expats.
But political economist Mobeen Ahmed Chughtai told Pakistan Today that although Qatar was “not known to be a bad paymaster, working and living conditions of foreign labor in Qatar have always been a controversial subject.”
The labor minister’s announcement follows a visit to Pakistan by Qatar’s Emir in March, the first trip to the country by a Qatari leader since 1999, according to MOFA.
It also comes after an an appeal from Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for Qatar to allow more foreign workers into the country.
There are currently some 100,000 Pakistanis living here, in various blue and white-collar jobs, and their remittances are an important part of their home country’s economy.
Tripling their number in Qatar is a move that Sarwar said could help ease unemployment figures at home:
“Government in collaboration with private sector will train these skilled and semi-skilled workers who will bring foreign exchange of more than 60 billion rupees annually to Pakistan that will also raise the standard of living of their families.”
New flights
The announcement coincides with news that Qatar Airways is expanding its services to Pakistan.
This week, it launched flights to Sialkot and Faisalabad, bringing the airline’s tally of routes into the country to six. Sialkot flights will depart four times a week, and Faisalabad three times a week.
The other Pakistani airports served by Qatar Airways are Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar.
Next month, an additional Pakistani destination, Multan, will also be added.
Thoughts?
Well that would be a major reversal in the ‘unoffical’ policy of not issuing work permits to Pakistani nationals. It is virtually impossible to get visas for them unless you are very well connected as they were considered undesirable in Qatar.
Maybe they will let more in but I will be very surprised if the floodgates are opened and 200,000 turn up in the next few years.
can you please give more details how were they considered undesirables? they were aplenty of em back in the 80’s and 90’s, i have also noticed a decline in their populations, few remaining truck & heavy equipment drivers and operators, a few army soldiers. ,, laborers used to hangout in souq waqif waiting to be “picked up” for jobs…and most of em were orange taxi drivers back in the days.
Well they are considered undesirables due to Pakistanis involvement in exporting terrorism, of course not all Pakistanis are terrorrists but the Gulf States tend to be heavy handed when they ban a nationality outright. Unfair on good law abiding Pakistanis but that is just the way it is.
Ahem, Pakistani’s exporting terrorism? LOL. Pakistan at best, recycled what it continues to get from this part of the world. Also, lets try and differentiate between the government/Army of Pakistan and its people. The people aren’t to blame for the crap their government might be involved in.
Very true, it is a shame for the majority of decent Pakistanis but westerners are killed by islamic terrorists in supposed revenge of what their governments have done, that is why Pakistanis are persona non grata around the world.
what is Islamic terrorism?????????? no place in Islam for terrorists if you don’t know sir kindly study Islam and Islam only can give you a lesson of peace nothing else……………………Islam is totally against terrorism…………….please understand
The vast majority of muslims are against terrorism but those that commit acts of terrorism in the name of Islam find justification in the Koran and also in the life of Prophet Mohd. (I’m not biased the Bible contains pretty nasty passages as well justifying murder and torture).
Please don’t tell me the Koran is all peace and love as all that tells me is that you either haven’t read it or you decide to ignore the nasty bits. (again a habit of Christains as well)
its not your mistake for what you cant understand.
“you cant understand.”
So by implication:
Islam is an esoteric ‘club’?
Not a religion for all?
It’s hotel California
‘You can check out any time you like but you can never leave…’
And We have indeed made the Qur’an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition? [Quran translation by Yusuf Ali 54:17]
So nouman – is it ‘easy’ to understand, or, are those who have questions, subject to the rule of those who “…can’t understand”?
becomes a muslim then you will realize the reality of islam and muslim otherwise not.
See that argument is nonsense. It’s like saying only sun worshipers can’t comment on the Sun’s heat.
feel pity for u.
No need in a very happy person whose enjoying life
The majority of terrorists claim they do it in the name of Islam. I agree with you, that this might not be conform with the rules of the Islam at all. I experienced the majority of Muslim people I met, to be, let’s say righteous, open minded and warm hearted. What we as westerners don’t understand: why doesn’t the majority of the huge Muslim community hunt down their foul brothers, why is there no official statements of religious leaders condemning these acts and excommunicating them officially? This leaves us often with the thought, that there’s a secret support…
Oh no, Pakistanis. If you have other work location options other than Qatar, prioritize it. Otherwise, you will regret on the long run. Be ready than sorry.
is it true they have quite a reputation being a…?
Deleting for stereotyping.
Can someone please explain to me what is the point of restricting all people from certain nationalities from entering a country? Even if I ignore the obvious ethical issue I cannot see any positives to doing this yet it is something practiced by Qatar and other GCC countries….
A country that doesn’t have 90% foreigners wouldn’t understand this… They are trying to avoid invasions of a specific nationality, when there are “too many of them” from a specific country, they close the tap. They reopen it when it normalizes. All countries regulate the influx of people, in many different ways.
It depends on a number of factors.
1. Size of population. (Don’t want one community getting too powerful)
2. Health concerns from country of origin (lots of African countries are out)
3. Politics. (Egyptian visas are hard to get)
4. History of extermism or terrorism relatated acts. (Pakistan et al)
I don’t think this is true because of the nature of Pakistanis, and since this statement by Pakistani official not confirmed by Qatar government I think it’s for internal consumption for Pakistani politics not a real one
I think you are probably right, this is political grandstanding.
Deleted for stereotyping…ohh no sorry you can stereotype Pakistanis but not Qataris hey Shabina?
These will definitely not be cheap. Trained and educated labor will not accept 800 or 1000 riyals a month and will probably end up costing 2500 a month. Will the Qatari government accept it? Normally yes, but this won’t be the case of the private sector.
ITS FOR ALL HUMAN BEINGS/SOCIALS PLEASE DON’T COMPARE THE TERRORISTS WITH ISLAM/MUSLIMS AND PAKISTAN,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,AS TERRORISM ONLY IN PAKISTAN OR IN THE REST OF WORLD,,,,,,,,,,THOSE WHO BLAMING PAKISTANI’S SHOULD STUDY THE WORLD ASIDE PAKISTAN,,,,,,,,,,,PAKISTAN IS THE PLACE OF HONEST AND FAITHFUL PEOPLE,,,,,,,,,,,,PAKISTAN IN HARSH ONLY BECAUSE OF PAKISTANI’S MUNAFIQ/KAZZAB/LAIRS POLITICIANS CREATED BY PAKISTAN’S ENEMIES THAT’S ALWAYS USED FOR THEIR OWN PURPOSES NOT FOR THE DIGNITY OF PAKISTAN,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,IN SHORT PAKISTAN IS THE PLACE OF HONEST AND SENSITIVE PEOPLE HOPE SO SOON WILL BE CLEAR انشاء الله AND IT’S NEAR MOST OF THE WORLD’S NATIONS CAN EXPECT ONLY FROM PAKISTAN,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
CAPS lock off!
200,000 to be trained for 2022? Wow…. you could make a World Cup look well attended with that number of people.