ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary body on Wednesday directed the government to ease visa processes for Pakistani expatriates who had immigrated to European countries by declaring themselves as foreign nationals.

The Senate Implementation Committee was having a briefing on the assistance provided to such Pakistanis who were now having difficulties visiting their home country.

In its previous meeting, members had met to decide whether Pakistanis living abroad, especially in the European countries, should be given the facility of Pakistan Origin Cards (POC) to enable them to return to their country to attend weddings and funerals, and to be able to purchase properties.

During the previous meeting on the issue, the committee had also directed the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, to devise a mechanism to help Pakistanis living abroad to get the POCs smoothly.

However, some members of the committee had observed that Pakistanis who had secured foreign nationalities as Afghan nationals should be treated as criminal offenders and should not be rewarded.

However, Senator Sajjad Turi, who had raised this issue of public importance, saw no harm in issuing POCs to the Pakistanis who had extended families and roots in Pakistan.

Chairman of the committee Senator Dilawar Khan expressed similar views.

“It is important that such Pakistanis can return to their country of origin to meet their families,” said chairperson of the committee Dilawar Khan.

Regarding the problems faced by expatriates due to the biometric system in banks abroad, the committee was informed that 28.1 million (96pc) active accounts of Pakistanis in foreign countries have been biometrically verified until Oct 31.

Another 1.18 million Pakistanis are still to be biometrically verified, the government informed the Senate Implementation Committee.

Moreover, 44, 590 accounts of overseas Pakistanis have been facilitated since the issuance of Banking Policy and Regulations Department (BPRD) Circular Letter earlier in June.

Deliberating over the matter regarding issuance of Pakistan Origin Cards to Pakistanis living in European countries, the committee was informed that as per circular banks are allowed to use certain documentation to ascertain their identity, as an alternative arrangement to biometric verification. This notification was issued by the SBP on Oct 7. As desired by the Senate Special Committee, SBP provided copies of documents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for circulation in all embassies especially in the Gulf countries.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2019