27 October 2004	Wednesday	12 Ramazan 1425

ISLAMABAD, Oct 26: Kuwait has requested Pakistan to send 4,700 skilled and unskilled labourers, Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said on Tuesday.

"The Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) has received a demand of 4,700 workers from Kuwait, which will be advertised soon for selection of the workers," the minister told newsmen at a press conference at the press information department.

He said the government was expecting more such demands from Malaysia, South Korea and Middle Eastern countries soon and negotiations were under way with them.

Malaysia and South Korea had banned recruitment of labour from Pakistan due to previous governments' mismanagement, he said.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf raised the issue during his visit to Malaysia and the country withdrew the ban, he said in reply to a question.

He said the government was in contact with Malaysia and some concrete results were expected by the end of the year.

He said the country's image had been damaged to some extent due to terrorism but the government's role in combating the problem had helped improve its international stranding.

The minister said an employer from Kuwait had placed a demand for 470 drivers at an early date but the OEC had sought guarantee that they would not be sent to Iraq. He said the selection would be started after the guarantee was received.

He said it would be ensured that the selection was fair.

The minister said demands for over 655 workers were in pipeline from South Korea, Libya and Malaysia, for which the country's missions were expediting formalities.