ISLAMABAD, Jan 24: Pakistan has agreed to export only skilled manpower to the United Arab Emirates through a controlled system of verification and examination and would eliminate the role of manpower exporters.

The assurance was extended by minister for industries and production Liaqat Ali Khan Jatoi to crown prince of UAE and ministers for labour and defence during a week-long visit to Dubai and Saudi Arabia.

The minister did not respond to a question whether or not he met former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Saudi Arabia with whom he had served as chief minister Sindh before army take over in October 1999.

Mr Jatoi told a news briefing here on Friday that labour minister Abdul Satar Lalika would pay a follow-up visit to UAE very shortly to formalize the things because middlemen and manpower export agents had earned a very bad name for Pakistan by sending unskilled labour to UAE through fake documents and certificates.

He said that UAE crown prince Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and labour minister Matar Humaid Al Tayer assured him that they would offer a special package for Pakistani workers provided the Pakistan government introduced some system to verify that the man was qualified and knew the job he required to do in UAE.

The minister, who returned from a week-long visit to Saudi Arabia and UAE, said overseas Pakistanis had expressed strong resentment because they were not given the tax benefits in Pakistan which they were promised at the launch of foreign exchange gold and silver cards scheme.

He said the issue would be taken up with the adviser to the prime minister on finance and at the cabinet level to ensure that the policy was implemented as announced to ensure credibility of the government and continuation of policies.

He also lamented that the Sindh government had imposed a 0.5 per cent tax on imports meant for Karachi Export Processing Zone which was violation of the announced policy and Constitution of Pakistan. He said he has already taken up the matter with the prime minister and written a letter to Sindh chief minister to undo the decision.

It was ironic, he said, that government could not honour its commitments and policies which created mistrust. He said that a lot of expatriates in Saudi Arabia were invited to make investments in Pakistan particularly in Lahore free export processing zones.

He said the government would launch the first free export processing zone on motorway project near Lahore next month with reduced utility rates and industrial tariffs.

Minister for Industries and production Liaqat Ali Khan Jatoi told a news briefing that besides local and foreign investors, Pakistani expatriates living in Saudi Arabia and UAE would be investing heavily in the Lahore Free Export Processing Zone.

The minister, who also attended the Jeddah Economic Forum conference in Saudi Arabia, said he told the participants that Pakistan was on take off position with an overall growth rate of 7.2 per cent and 17.7 per cent contribution of industrial growth in GDP.

He said Pakistan would set up on-desk investor counters at all international airports in the country. He said he also invited the crown prince of Dubai and defence minister of UAE Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum to visit Pakistan along with a team of experts to look into investment opportunities in Pakistani free trade zone and Karachi export processing zone.