ISLAMABAD: Parliament should protect the rights of overseas Pakistanis, who are the backbone of the country, Senator Hilalur Rehman said while chairing a parliamentary committee meeting on Thursday.

“We will play our role for the formulation of policies that would encourage overseas Pakistanis, who send a large chunk of foreign exchange in the country,” he said during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis.

The committee also suggested that the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis make arrangements to teach Pakistanis Chinese.

Senator Rehman said it was necessary to learn Chinese to reap the most fruit from the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Senator Faiz Mohammad also brought the committee’s attention towards Pakistanis arrested while travelling abroad through illegal channels.

“Some Pakistanis have been in jail in Tanzania for the last three months but no steps have been taken to bring them back,” he said.

The committee directed the ministry to take immediate measures to address the issue and bring them back to Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2018