First meeting: Lawyers’ panel approved for overseas Pakistanis’ assistance

Commission decides to recruit university students as interns.

LAHORE: The first meeting of the Overseas Pakistanis Commission, Punjab, on Monday approved a panel of lawyers to help overseas Pakistanis with their court cases in the country. 

The participants of the meeting also decided to arrange road shows in various countries to introduce the commission to Pakistanis settled there.

They decided to recruit students from universities across the country as interns to assist with various tasks at the commission.

Speaking to the meeting through a video link on Monday, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the commission had been established to ensure timely resolution of problems faced by overseas Pakistanis’ problems.

He said the commission had been set up as an administratively and financially autonomous body.

The chief minister also sought a proposal on establishment of a police station dedicated to addressing the problems faced by overseas Pakistanis.

Sharif urged the participants to use the platform of the commission to raise awareness about the various problems faced by overseas Pakistanis. In particular, he said, the commission would ensure the security of the real estate owned in the country by overseas Pakistanis.

“Overseas Pakistanis invest their hard earned income in the country’s real estate. We will not let anyone illegally grab their properties,” the chief minister said.

The chief minister directed the commission to work towards the establishment of advisory councils comprising representatives of Pakistanis living and working abroad.

He said committees of the commission had already been set up in all the 36 districts of the province.

He said the office of the commission would soon be equipped with latest technology.

The chief minister said that the performance of the commission would be reviewed after every two weeks.

Earlier, Overseas Pakistanis Commission Punjab Commissioner Afzaal Bhatti briefed the meeting on the commission’s activities.

Overseas Pakistanis Commission Punjab Vice Chairman Khalid Shaheen Butt was also present at the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2015.