Overseas Pakistanis’ clubs planned

LAHORE:

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has announced the regularisation of contract employees up to grade 9 of the Overseas Pakistanis Commission (OPC).

Speaking to Punjab OPC Vice-Chairman Syed Tariq Mehmoodul Hasan who called on him on Tuesday, the chief minister said the regularisation of the 56 employees had been a longstanding demand.He issued directives to solve the problems of Pakistanis living abroad on a priority basis.

The chief minister said clubs for overseas Pakistanis would be set up in each divisional headquarters and a conference would also be convened soon to identify and solve their problems.

For the convenience of overseas Pakistanis, one window revenue, NADRA and LDA counters have been activated and district overseas committees have been notified, he said and added that overseas Pakistanis would be fully supported and assisted in every provincial department.

Overseas Pakistanis can now get their land documents from the Punjab OPC. They can also lodge their complaints any time through a helpline operating round the clock.

Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi said overseas Pakistanis’ rights would be protected and no effort would be spared to solve their problems. He said the Punjab government was committed to solving the problems of overseas Pakistanis.

He said the expats’ services for the strengthening the national economy could not be ignored.

The Punjab OPC vice-chairman briefed the CM about the performance of the institution.

Higher Education Commission Chairman Dr Mukhtar Ahmad also called on the chief minister and former federal minister Moonis Elahi to discuss measures for the promotion of higher education in the province.

The CM maintained that exposing youth to skills-based technology was the need of the hour. New universities will be set up to promote skills-based technology, he said and added that the introduction of a uniform pay scale for university teachers was being reviewed and the pay scale would be linked with performance. Free advance courses aere being conducted for the youth in collaboration with Microsoft.

“We have to adapt higher education to modern requirements. In this regard, the Punjab government will extend full support to the Higher Education Commission to improve governance in universities. To correct the affairs of the universities, it is necessary to end ad hocism,” he maintained.

The chief minister said a lot of work was needed to promote research in universities. The stipends for students to get higher education will be increased.

The CM said recruitment had been approved to meet the shortage of teachers. The recruitment in higher education will be made on merit.

Specialised disciplines for industrial product development will also be introduced in universities, he concluded.

K2 clean-up campaign

Speaking to mountaineer Sajid Ali Sadpara who called on him, Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi announced a grant of Rs1.5 million for the K2 clean-up campaign.

He assured the mountaineer of support the campaign to protect natural beauty noting that mountains were also affected by climate change. Sadpara said waste would be removed from camp four to the base camp.

A campaign is being launched in collaboration with local and international mountaineers to clean the K2 to promote international mountaineering, he added.

The 24-year-old mountaineer has scaled the K2 twice without supplemental oxygen and is the first Pakistani to scale the Manaslu Peak in Nepal. He also enjoys the honour of reaching the Gasherbrum I peak in three and a half days.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2022.