ISLAMABAD, May 25: The Overseas Pakistan Foundation (OPF) on Friday disbursed Rs15 million among 220 destitute families of overseas Pakistanis, who had suffered from tragic incidents of death and disability.

Out of these, 85 families residing in the vicinity of federal capital received cheques worth Rs50,000 each, while the rest of families received the cheques at the provincial headquarters.

The minister for labour, manpower and overseas Pakistanis, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, handed over the cheques among the affected families.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister appreciated the efforts of the foundation and said it was playing an important role in the socio-economic development of overseas Pakistanis.

Highlighting the welfare schemes, he said the foundation, in collaboration with the private sector, is establishing a number of housing schemes to provide houses to overseas Pakistanis in different parts of the country.

In order to provide quality education to the children of overseas Pakistanis, the minister said the OPF had set up 21 public schools, one boys college and two girls colleges in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Mr Khan said the foundation had also introduced a financial aid scheme, in 1980-81, for helping families to overcome their initial financial problems in the immediate aftermath of the demise of their earning family members, adding, the aid had been also increased from Rs30,000 to Rs50,000 per family.

From 1980-81 to date, about 4,016 destitute families have been awarded financial aid, amounting to Rs91.22 million.

Mr Khan said the foundation also awarded financial aid to the disabled but the awarded amount was not enough for investing in any income-generating scheme.

In 1992-93, the minister said, the OPF had started the scheme with the objective to help disabled overseas Pakistanis through Qarz-i-Hasna (later renamed ‘Economic Rehabilitation of Disabled Returnees Bila Sood Qarz Scheme’) to generate a permanent source of income.

Mr Khan said Rs11.60 million have been disbursed among 126 disabled overseas Pakistanis under the scheme.

“We have also set up Prime Minister’s Complaint Cell to resolve the problems of Pakistanis working abroad,” he added.

Through this cell, he said the foundation has received about 20,033 complaints for various individual cases regarding telephone, electricity, Sui gas, bank problems, crime and property disputes.