Federal Ombudsman Syed Tahir Shahbaz has directed the concerned agencies working on the One Window Facilitation Desks at 08 International airports to improve facilitating the Overseas Pakistanis.
He was chairing a high level meeting to get the progress report of the One Window Facilitation Desk. Grievance Commissioner for Overseas Pakistanis Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmed Khokhar briefed on the progress of One Window Facilitation Desks established at 08 international airports around the country. He added that all Overseas Pakistanis have lauded this initiative of the WafaqiMohtasib and informed that through these Facilitation Desks, 151,738 passengers have been facilitated since its establishment.
The representatives of CAA, ASF, ANF, Immigration & Passport, NADRA, Bureau of Immigration & OPF etc. participated and presented their progress reports of the One Window Facilitation Desk. The rep. of NADRA informed that all Overseas Pakistanis are facilitated to get new NICOP, POC(Pakistani Origin Card), its renewal and their verification etc. at these desks. He said that 12250 Overseas Pakistanis were facilitated by issuing Cards through One Window Facilitation Desks.
The DG, Bureau of Emigration (BOE) informed that 80% of Overseas Pakistanis who got work visa had been facilitated through issuance of life insurance and bank accounts through National Bank of Pakistan along with provision of two ATMs i.e. for Pakistan and abroad. He said that a comprehensive awareness campaign had been launched and are being sensitized through social & conventional media advising not to carry anybody’s luggage because most of the illegal things are carried through this way.
He informed that BOE is trying that every work visa holder should travel through their system so that he could be facilitated for insurance and other facilities etc. He further informed that BOE is establishing its regional offices in other major cities of the country so that labour and technical bounded jobs could be provided to the people through their system.
The rep. of FIA admitted that their sensitization area is weak and FIA is working to strengthen it and planned to more sensitize the Overseas Pakistanis on immigration issues so that they could travel in a safe way. The reps. of ANF informed that only 17 complaints of their officials had received from these desks and had took strict action against them.
He further informed that out of which 01 dismissed from service, 05 cleared on baseless complaints and others suspended for further inquiry. The reps. Of Customs, ANF and Immigration & Passport etc. also presented their progress reports.
Published in Daily Times, Mach 1st 2019.
