ADDRESSING a news conference on Wednesday, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, said that Kuwait will lift a ban on work visas for Pakistanis.
Working in any Gulf country is undoubtedly the first choice of any Pakistani, hence this is great news for the youth aspiring to work in the oil rich fraternal country.
Kuwait had banned work visas for Pakistan back in 2011 and despite attempts by previous governments the restrictions could not be lifted.
In March 2017, the then government of PML (N) had also announced the lifting of the ban by Kuwait during the visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
However, the decision was never implemented. Last year, one saw the opening of Kuwaiti visas for Pakistan’s medical professionals and about six hundred or so had left for the Gulf country by the end of December.
The latest news we understand will open doors for skilled and semi-skilled workers in different areas.
Since Kuwaiti Foreign Minister, Sheikh Dr. Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah, is in Islamabad on an official visit, we are confident that matters relating to export of manpower to Kuwait will also come under discussion. The issuance of a visa should not be linked with Covid-19 related restrictions.
Rather a mechanism could be developed under which the Kuwaiti visa getters should undergo medical checkups both in Pakistan and the host country.
Most importantly, we need to train our youths in the areas the demand of which exists in Kuwait and other Arab countries.
Export of skilled force entails great benefits as it will help substantially enhance the remittances.
Just like any other Gulf country, Pakistan has always given immense importance and endeavoured to strengthen its ties with Kuwait in different fields and, in fact, there is also great scope of enhancing it in the areas of trade, investment, energy and food security.
There is a need to further enhance people-to-people contacts including the political and parliamentary exchanges in order to find ways and means to further bolster their bilateral relations.
