ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis on Thursday disagreed with a legal expert’s view that Pakistan could ask the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to intervene in the matter of about two million Pakistanis who were being expelled from Saudi Arabia.
“Pakistan is not in a position to file a case against Saudi Arabia or write to the ILO because Saudi Arabia can expel them with a single order,” said Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis Secretary Khizar Hayat Khan .
Speaking at a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis, chaired by Senator Baz Mohammad Khan, the secretary said the matter of Pakistanis stranded in camps and not paid by their employers had been taken up with the Saudi government
Earlier, Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tasawar Khan said 10,395 Pakistanis were moved to 20 camps of three companies that were facing financial problems.
He the ministry had started receiving complaints in February about Pakistanis not being paid their salaries and that the matter was taken up with the Saudi government. The employers were then paid a month’s salary, but the situation worsened in July.
He said the Pakistani embassy in Saudi Arabia was providing food to the stranded Pakistanis or paying them 200 Saudi riyals each. He said the prime minister had allocated a fund of Rs500 million for the stranded people and that their families in Pakistan were being paid Rs50,000.
“The Saudi king has also taken notice of the matter and allocated 100 million riyals for addressing the issue,” Mr Tasawar added.
However, Senator Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, who was specially invited to the meeting to give his legal opinion, said the workers were sent under an agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and that international labour laws apply in this case.
“The issue has been going on for nine months and the government took no interest in it. The government can write to the ILO and ask it to play its role in addressing the matter,” he said.
“We never hear similar complaints from Chinese workers in Saudi Arabia because China takes up the issues of its citizens with other countries properly,” he added.
To this, Mr Hayat Khan said: “Pakistan is not China and it is not possible for us to take legal action against Saudi Arabia. Also, the issue has arisen because oil prices have dropped and Saudi Arabia is fighting a war at its border with Yemen. This should not be looked at as a permanent problem.”
Senator Saif then said taking up the matter with Saudi Arabia did not mean starting a war.
“There are many ways to address the issue. The civil society can be used to convey the message to international human rights organisations and make the Saudi government address the matter,” he said.
Mr Hayat Khan explained that three types of workers go to Saudi Arabia: those who go under an agreement between states, via employment promoters and those who travel on independent visas. He said the government had no control over the workers who go on independent visas. Senator Rehman Malik said under the 1979 Immigration Rules, the government was bound to ensure that the company which was recruiting Pakistanis was capable of paying them salaries.
“Labour is sent under an agreement and Pakistani law provides full protection to workers. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) should be directed to investigate why these workers were allowed to go to Saudi Arabia without the companies’ financial position being scrutinised,” he said.
He suggested that the funds for the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation should be used to help the stranded Pakistanis because the foundation was funded by overseas Pakistanis but “does nothing other than build housing societies.”
Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2016
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