Some 3,785 sent from Punjab, only 77 from Balochistan. PHOTO: FILE
The Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) has sent as many as 6,384 workers to different countries during the last five years – with the highest number of people from Punjab and lowest from Balochistan.
According to official data, provided to the National Assembly by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, the OEC – the recruiting agency of the government – has sent 3,785 workers from Punjab, 1,501 from Sindh, 794 from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), 77 from Balochistan.
Besides these, the OEC also sent 57 workers from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 118 from Islamabad, 43 from FATA and nine from Gilgit-Baltistan. The documents further states that from 1971 to 2013, more than 7 million Pakistanis proceed to other countries for the purpose of the employment through Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE).
The breakup of the Punjab province during the five-year period shows that the highest number of 505 workers proceeded overseas from Rawalpindi district, followed by 398 workers from Lahore, 331 workers from Narawal, 243 workers from Sargodha, 185 from Gujranwala and 113 persons from Multan.
However, only one person was sent overseas from Sangla district of Punjab during these five years. Accordingly, the highest number of 1,061 workers was sent overseas from Punjab during 2010-2011, followed by 909 persons during 2009-10.
In Sindh, out of the total 1,501 people sent abroad, the highest number 951 were sent only from Karachi. Of them, 315 were from Karachi East, 119 from Karachi West, 124 from Karachi South and 395 from Karachi Central.
In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the highest number of 167 workers were sent abroad from Abbottabad, followed by 118 from Nowshera, 113 persons from Haripur, 94 from Peshawar, 71 from Mardan and 65 people from Swat. However, not a single person from entire Kohistan district was sent abroad during the last five years.
Out of the total workers sent from Balochistan, 37 workers were sent only from the provincial capital Quetta, followed by Lasbela district from where 25 workers went abroad through the ministry.
During the five years, 118 persons were sent abroad from the federal capital area (Islamabad). Additionally, out of the total 43 people were sent from Fata during the period, 21 persons were sent from Malakand Agency, four from South Waziristan Agency, ten from North Waziristan Agency, one from Orakzai and four from Kurram Agency.
From Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 22 people were sent from Bagh, followed by 17 from Bhimber, nine from Poonch and seven from Punch.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2014.
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