September 04, 2007	Tuesday	Sha'aban 21, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Sept 3: The government has enhanced financial aid for the destitute families of deceased and disabled overseas Pakistanis from Rs50,000 to Rs100,000, Minister of State for Overseas Pakistanis Raza Hayat Hiraj said on Monday.

The minister was speaking at a ceremony organised to distribute cheques among the families of deceased and handicapped Pakistani expatriates.

He said the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) had been established in order to look after the interests of Pakistanis living aboard and provide welfare services to their families in the homeland. Similarly, a Prime Minister Complaint Cell is operating in the OPF to resolve the problems of overseas Pakistanis related to other government departments, he added.

Describing the expatriate community a valuable asset to the country, he said the government had been taking all possible measures to fulfil their needs.

Highlighting their contributions towards the growth in national economy, Mr Hiraj said overseas Pakistanis remitted about $5.5 billion annually.

The trend of home remittances is rising day by day and these will reach $6 billion by the year end, he added. Mr Hiraj pledged that an OPF university would also be established in Islamabad within next few months.

He claimed that the OPF was introducing basic reforms in its schooling system to ensure provision of quality education.

In his welcome speech, OPF Managing Director Syed Nayyar Hasnain Haider said the foundation had so far distributed Rs95 million among the destitute families of overseas Pakistanis as financial assistance.—Staff Reporter