Aqeel Rana
There has been enough talk by the gov
ernment over the past couple of years re
garding revival of the institutions/government departments through institutional reforms to make them public-friendly and service-oriented. Although there is no short-cut to achieving such courageous aims, there has been impatience among not only the general population of the country but also among some segments of PTI’s own voters to see the Naya Pakistan happen in tangible terms.
However, the comprehensive diagnostic of government departments being conducted by the present government is complete and at many departments structural changes which aim at increasing their efficiency and effectiveness are already taking roots. One such government department where government’s reform efforts are showing early results is Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, a department of Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development. From a loss making entity, the Foundation has turned into a profit earning organization.
2. Realizing that economic development and poverty reduction are two of the foremost challenges faced by the country and both are strongly associated with the size of remittances, especially in Pakistan’s case, the Prime Minister Imran Khan, right in the early days of his premiership had expressed his government’s desire to take necessary steps to restore the confidence of Overseas Pakistanis.
3. Other than being concerned about well-being of their families, children and properties back home, the Overseas Pakistanis, most of whom reside and work in the Middle East, face a number of work-related issues such as non-payment of wages, delayed salaries, non-issuance of release letters by previous employers for change of visa/sponsorship, lengthy procedures of issuance of NICOP, POC, machine-readable passports, lack of basic necessities at the workplace etc. OPF fits in at the service end of the multilayered expatriation process as it looks after the interests of Overseas Pakistanis working abroad and their family members living in Pakistan.
4. In order to help expats fulfil their dreams of having their own house in a safe and secure environment with simple access to all the significant amenities, OPF has effectively finished seven OPF Housing Schemes. Development work at OPF Greens Lahore, Foundation’s latest housing project for Overseas Pakistanis, is in full swing. Another dedicated housing project namely OPF Country Homes & Apartments is being launched in Islamabad. The last two projects have been given the final shape after PTI’s government came to power. Under the capable guidance and supervision of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on OP & HRD, Syed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari, OPF also has successfully recovered more than 150 Kanals of state land in Lahore and Islamabad, valuing Rs. 1.20 Billion.
5. OPF also provides monetary help to families of those Overseas Pakistanis who accidently lose their lives in host countries or sustain injuries that render them incapacitated. Dispensing more than Rs. 2.25 Billion, OPF has so far provided financial assistance to the families of 11493 such Overseas Pakistanis. For speedy transportation of inbound remains of deceased Overseas Pakistanis from airports to their respective hometowns, OPF has signed MoUs with Edhi Foundation and Al-Khidmat Foundation.
6. OPF is also running a network of 25 educational institutions (4 colleges, 20 secondary schools, and 1 primary school) which is spread throughout the country including Azad Jammu and Kashmir. There is 100% assurance to the children of Overseas Pakistanis for admission at all OPF educational institutions where they can also avail 50% discount in education cost. The annual subsidy borne by OPF for facilitating children of Overseas Pakistanis at OPF educational institutions has reached Rs. 102 Million mark.
7. Under the leadership of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Syed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari, OPF has also set-up a Reconciliatory Council Project having representation from revenue, police and local judiciary. Over the last couple of years, Foundation has taken various new initiatives such as starting internship program for newly graduated children of Overseas Pakistanis, establishment of a dedicated Complaint Management System and revamping of OPF facilitation counters at all international airports in Pakistan.
While there are visible signs that the efforts of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s team in revolutionizing public sector institutions are beginning to bear fruit for which they must be applauded, the credit must also go to the management team of organizations like Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, which are identifying opportunities for improvement, and the frontline employees at the extremely crucial execution level.
—The writer is freelance columnist, based in Islamabad.
