Foreign countries need to ease process of granting visa to Pakistani seafarers.
DOHA: After 9/11, Pakistan has suffered a lot. Many shipping companies stopped recruiting Pakistani seafarers due to various reasons. This brought immense hardships for those in this profession and also lost precious foreign exchange for Pakistan. Every year, hundreds of engine and nautical cadets graduate from the Pakistan Marine Academy and over the years job opportunities for them have significantly declined. To make matters worse, if a job does become available, acquiring a visa becomes next to impossible. Foreign countries need to ease process of granting visa to Pakistani seafarers so that they can have a decent chance of earning a livelihood. I urge the Government of Pakistan to take serious action to solve this issue on a priority basis.
Rehmat Ali
Published in The Express Tribune, August 4th, 2014.
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