ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Ghulam Sarwar Khan here on Tuesday said negotiations were underway with the Malaysian government to export Pakistani workers.

The federal minister stated this while talking to a delegation from Taxila, Wah Cantonment and Hassanabdal. The negotiations with the Malaysian government, he said, were aimed at influencing it to accept Pakistani workers as planned between it and the late Pakistani federal minister for labour and manpower, Abdus Sattar Laleka.

He hoped that the ongoing negotiations would conclude positively and the matter would be resolved soon. Earlier, Mr Khan said, Malaysia had imposed a ban on labour import from Pakistan. But, due to personal efforts of President Pervez Musharraf, the Malaysian government had lifted the ban, he added.

He said the Pakistani government had decided to send about 20,000 skilled manpower abroad annually. The Gulf states are demanding professionals in the health sector. Presently, about five million Pakistanis are working in various fields in the Gulf states, the US, Canada and other countries.