ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has dual nationality arrangements with 12 European countries including France, Italy, Belgium, Iceland, Finland, Switzerland, Netherland, Sweden, Ireland, Denmark, Germany and Norway.

This was stated by an official of the Interior Ministry on Friday while briefing the National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development.

He told the committee that dual nationality arrangements with Portugal, Czech Republic and Luxemburg were under process.

The National Assembly Standing Committee started with a note of displeasure over constant absence of special assistant to prime minister on overseas Pakistanis and human resource development.

Nonetheless, the committee met for a briefing on dual nationality.

Representative from the Interior Ministry briefed the committee that under section 14(1) of the Pakistan Citizenship Act, 1951, if a person was a citizen of Pakistan under the provision of this Act, and was at the same time a citizen or national of another country, he shall cease to be a citizen of Pakistan, unless he makes a declaration according to the laws of the country renouncing his status as citizen or national.

The Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Dr Mohammad Hashim Popalzai briefed the Committee on the Monitoring Policy of Community Welfare Attaches (CWAs).

He apprised the committee that the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development had been mandated to make efforts to enhance the export of manpower and welfare of overseas Pakistanis.

In order to achieve the objective, the role of Community Welfare Attaches was vital and needed to be strengthened through proper monitoring and regular performance evaluation.

Similarly, representative from National Vocational Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) briefed the Committee that NAVTTC was the apex public sector organisation presently working under the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, responsible for policy making, standardisation, regulation, coordination and international collaboration in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector of Pakistan. The commission was also responsible for formulation and execution of nationwide youth skill training programmes.

It was spearheading the implementation of the government’s reforms agenda in this sector, in close collaboration with the provincial Technical Education and Vocation Training Authorities (TVETAs), its regional offices as well as numerous other public and private sector national and international organisation and development agencies.

The official further said that Pakistani Training Courses were acceptable in Gulf countries where more than 90pc of Pakistani Skilled Youth proceeded for employment. For European and other western countries NAVTTC had initiated the process of mutual recognition of qualifications with a number of countries such as Germany, Australia, UK, New Zealand, Finland and Singapore.

However, the committee was not satisfied with the briefing by the chairman and executive director (NAVTTC) and also inquired about the yearly budget amounting to Rs9.8 billion and non-utilization and overlap of some part from the budgetary grants.

The committee directed that the next meeting will be held in NAVTTC office for further clarification and detailed briefing about the department.

The committee also took up the matter of welfare of the miners. The Joint Secretary, Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, briefed the committee about the inquiry of EOBI for non-registration of mines workers in Balochistan.

The committee directed the officials that a detailed inquiry report should be submitted to the committee within 30 days without any delay.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2021