The Overseas Pakistanis Ministry has launched a portal to gather information on Pakistanis returning home unemployed due to the coronavirus. So far, more than 41,000 Pakistanis have registered on this portal.
The online registration system, released on the Overseas Employment Corporation’s website, asks Pakistanis to return from abroad to register.
In addition to the name, date of birth, identity card and passport number, and other basic information of the person registered on the portal, details about vocational education, skills certificate, details of the country in which he worked and residence, etc. have been sought.
There is an option of more than 60 departments from highly educated accountants and doctors to laborers for registration. International driving license details have also been sought.
The registrar has also been asked whether he has been fired or sent to Pakistan on leave.
How will unemployed Pakistanis benefit from the portal?
Talking to Urdu News, Kashif Ahmad Noor, Director General, Pakistan Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment, said, “Those who register on the portal are given priority to be re-employed abroad. The Overseas Employment Corporation and the Bureau of Immigration will work together in this regard.
The second benefit of registration would be that if a skilled person has obtained a diploma or certificate in one of the fields, he would be allowed to pursue his technical education in Toyota or NEUTECH or any other institute of technical education. Will go The third benefit of this registration is that if, for some reason, they do not get a job abroad, they will try to give jobs to skilled people in Pakistan based on their skills.
“Among the returnees from abroad, the financially weak will be provided financial assistance through the Ehsas program and through the Prime Minister’s Youth Program,”
Job portal or data collection form?
Talking to Media, Muhammad Ansar, who has extensive experience in recruitment and employment, while analyzing the portal of Overseas Pakistanis, said, “This is not a job portal but a data collection form through which the government is only collecting information.’
According to him, ‘Job Portal’ is a website that serves as a platform for job seekers and employers. The profile that is being created on this portal is very basic, and there is no option to upload a CV in it. Also, the portal is not affiliated with any international or local job advertisement websites such as ROZEE.
“Looking at this portal, it is not difficult to say that its purpose is simply to count the number of people who have returned home and want a job,” he said.
In this regard, the DG Pakistan Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment said that the portal is still in its infancy. The aim is to collect data on unemployed Pakistanis. This data will be sent to all relevant agencies to help these people in terms of their work.
According to him, the job portal of Overseas Employment Corporation has also been set up where job opportunities will be advertised for those coming from abroad. People will be able to apply for jobs directly there.
Job portals try to cover up poor performance of embassies.
Corona has left most Pakistanis unemployed in the Gulf, with thousands returning home. Unemployed Pakistanis living abroad have responded to the portal by saying that it is a premature move and delays in the repatriation of Pakistanis from abroad, expensive PIA tickets, and poor performance of various embassies. An attempt has been made to cover it up.
Munawar Ali, who wants to return home from Saudi Arabia, says the government should keep its promise to provide jobs to Pakistan. Those returning from abroad will return automatically when conditions improve. People have been trying to return from here for many months, but they have not been able to get a ticket. Sometimes a list is made at the embassy to get a ticket, and sometimes one has to visit the PIA offices. If the portal were to be made, it would be made only when everyone returned home.
“I have registered on this portal but I don’t have much hope,” Muhammad Pal, a Dubai resident, told Urdu News. It was just a house fairy who did. We know what has happened to Pakistanis in the UAE. After several days of protests and recommendations, they have gone and bought expensive tickets and returned.
Referring to job opportunities in Pakistan, Mohammad Akmal said, “Corona has eliminated employment in the richest Gulf countries, so employment opportunities in Pakistan were already limited, now it will be more difficult.”
He advised the government not to claim that thousands of Pakistanis returning from abroad yesterday were sitting in Islamabad seeking jobs based on the portal, and the government had nothing to offer.