QUETTA: The Balo­ch­is­­­­tan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Quetta, has appealed to the federal government to issue work permits to skilled Afghan refugees working in the mining, agriculture and other sectors in the province under the guarantee of local stakeholders.

Haji Akhtar Kakar, the vice president of the cha­m­­ber of commerce and in­­dustry, made the request while pointing out that the existing shortage of skilled labour could worsen further if the issue was not addressed promptly.

During a recent meeting with farmers, industrialists, and mine owners from various regions of Balochistan, Haji Akhtar said the province had historically relied on skilled labour from other provinces.

However, due to deteriorating security conditions, skilled workers from some other provinces were not willing to come to Balochistan. As a result, local farmers, industrialists, and mine owners have had to depend on Afghan workers.

He added that the decision to ex­­pel Afghan refugees had seve­rely impacted the agriculture, mining, and industrial sectors in Balo­chis­tan, as a significant portion of the workforce came from Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2025