Comments - Can Pakistani Diaspora Help in Pakistan's Development? - PakAlumni Worldwide: The Global Social Network 2024-03-27T05:05:15Zhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profiles/comment/feed?attachedTo=1119293%3ABlogPost%3A80402&xn_auth=noAt 17.5 Million, Overseas Ind…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2019-11-19:1119293:Comment:1273112019-11-19T03:58:28.471ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>At 17.5 Million, Overseas Indians Are Largest Community In The World: UN</span><br></br><br></br><span>Migrants from Mexico constituted the second largest diaspora - 11.8 million, followed by China - 10.7 million, Russia - 10.5 million, Syria - 8.2 million, Bangladesh - 7.8 million, Pakistan - 6.3 million, Ukraine - 5.9 million, the Philippines - 5.4 million and Afghanistan - 5.1 million.…</span><br></br><br></br></p>
<p><span>At 17.5 Million, Overseas Indians Are Largest Community In The World: UN</span><br/><br/><span>Migrants from Mexico constituted the second largest diaspora - 11.8 million, followed by China - 10.7 million, Russia - 10.5 million, Syria - 8.2 million, Bangladesh - 7.8 million, Pakistan - 6.3 million, Ukraine - 5.9 million, the Philippines - 5.4 million and Afghanistan - 5.1 million.</span><br/><br/><span><a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/at-17-5-million-overseas-indians-are-largest-community-in-the-world-un-2102843" target="_blank">https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/at-17-5-million-overseas-indians-are-largest-community-in-the-world-un-2102843</a></span><br/><br/><span>The International Migrant Stock 2019, a dataset released by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs or DESA today, provides the latest estimates of the number of international migrants by age, sex and origin for all countries and areas of the world.</span><br/><br/><span>The estimates are based on official national statistics on the foreign-born or the foreign population obtained from population censuses, population registers or nationally representative surveys.</span><br/><br/><span>The report said that the top 10 countries of origin account for one-third of all international migrants. In 2019, with 17.5 million persons living abroad, India was the leading country of origin of international migrants.</span><br/><br/><span>Migrants from Mexico constituted the second largest diaspora - 11.8 million, followed by China - 10.7 million, Russia - 10.5 million, Syria - 8.2 million, Bangladesh - 7.8 million, Pakistan - 6.3 million, Ukraine - 5.9 million, the Philippines - 5.4 million and Afghanistan - 5.1 million.</span><br/><br/><span>India hosted 5.1 million international migrants in 2019, less than the 5.2 million in 2015. International migrants as a share of total population in India was steady at 0.4 per cent from 2010 to 2019.</span><br/><br/><span>The country hosted 207,000 refugees, the report said adding that refugees as a share of international migrants in the country was four per cent. Among the international migrants in the country, the female population was 48.8 per cent and the median age of international migrants was 47.1 years. In India, the highest number of international migrants came from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal.</span><br/><br/><span>In 2019, regionally, Europe hosted the largest number of international migrants (82 million), followed by Northern America (59 million) and Northern Africa and Western Asia (49 million).</span><br/><br/><span>At the country level, about half of all international migrants reside in just 10 countries, with the United States of America hosting the largest number of international migrants (51 million), equal to about 19 per cent of the world's total.</span><br/><br/><span>Germany and Saudi Arabia host the second and third largest numbers of migrants (13 million each), followed by Russia (12 million), the United Kingdom (10 million), the United Arab Emirates (9 million), France, Canada and Australia (around 8 million each) and Italy (6 million).</span><br/><br/><span>The share of international migrants in total population varies considerably across geographic regions with the highest proportions recorded in Oceania (including Australia and New Zealand) (21.2 per cent) and Northern America (16.0 per cent) and the lowest in Latin America and the Caribbean (1.8 per cent), Central and Southern Asia (1.0 per cent) and Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (0.8 per cent).</span><br/><br/><span>A majority of international migrants in sub-Saharan Africa (89 per cent), Eastern and South-Eastern Asia (83 per cent), Latin America and the Caribbean (73 per cent), and Central and Southern Asia (63 per cent) originated from the region in which they reside.</span></p> #Remittances from #diaspora k…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2018-08-16:1119293:Comment:1214442018-08-16T03:34:58.073ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p>#Remittances from #diaspora keep #Pakistan's economy afloat. Estimates average from $1.7 to $1.9 billion a month, adding up to $22 billion per year. #IMF #Reserves #bailout #exports #trade #imports <br></br> <a href="https://www.khaleejtimes.com/remittances-keep-pakistans-economy-afloat" target="_blank">https://www.khaleejtimes.com/remittances-keep-pakistans-economy-afloat</a></p>
<p>Pakistan's economic lifeline is its remittances. A staggering $2billion from overseas Pakistanis per month on an…</p>
<p>#Remittances from #diaspora keep #Pakistan's economy afloat. Estimates average from $1.7 to $1.9 billion a month, adding up to $22 billion per year. #IMF #Reserves #bailout #exports #trade #imports <br/> <a href="https://www.khaleejtimes.com/remittances-keep-pakistans-economy-afloat" target="_blank">https://www.khaleejtimes.com/remittances-keep-pakistans-economy-afloat</a></p>
<p>Pakistan's economic lifeline is its remittances. A staggering $2billion from overseas Pakistanis per month on an average is a blessing in disguise for the cash-starved economy and has widely helped in balancing payments towards imports, especially oil. They have acted as a catalyst in growth and investments. Undisputedly, it is one of the primary sources of foreign exchange reserves for the country and for an economy, which is ridden with inflation and slump in exports, the annual subscription of more than $25 billion acts as its backbone.</p>
<p>The good point is that despite somersaults on the global economic level and a nosedive, Pakistanis have stood fast in retaining their culture of remitting back home, and have widely entrusted the country's banks and other legal avenues for transfer of funds. Despite a wide gap in the dollar rates in open and banking markets, overseas Pakistanis preferred to send money mostly through the banking channel. This reflects their confidence in the government, as well as banks operating in Pakistan. The State Bank of Pakistan, in one of its recent reports, said that Pakistan has fared relatively better than other regional countries concerning foreign remittances.</p>
<p>Estimates say an average of $1.7 to $1.9 billion is received on a monthly basis, which accounts for a staggering $22 billion per annum. Most of the remittances are from the Middle East and Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman. Payments from all important destinations, except Saudi Arabia, showed positive growth. Inflows from the kingdom declined 7.5 per cent during the last fiscal year to the tune of 5.5 per cent. Nonetheless, Pakistan received $2.5 billion from Saudi Arabia in the year 2017. The second highest inflow is from the United Arab Emirates, which increased 1.13 per cent to $2.2bn.</p>
<p>A silent but sizeable chunk of remittances, although on a quarterly and six-monthly basis, are also registered from the United States, the European Union, South Africa and Australia. Many of the Far East Asian countries, especially Malaysia and Hong Kong, Korea and Japan also are potential remittances pockets. Remittances from the US have also seen an upward trend by around 10 per cent, to cross the barrier of one billion dollars per quarter. Similarly, inflows from the UK also recorded an increase of 23 per cent to $1.35 billion.</p>
<p>This primarily acts as seed money for the country's balance of payments, and to a great extent compensates for lack of foreign investment and slowdown in portfolio investments. The pre-budget Economic Review, however, estimated that remittances could grow by 50 per cent if the government provides due incentives to its non-resident citizens, and ensures that their foreign exchange is safe and reusable in the same currency. Likewise, remittances directly deposited in Pakistani bank accounts can also get a boost and shoot up to $100 billion - a retained safe territory, if stringent measures are taken and assurances on withdrawals limits are waived.</p>
<p>The free flow of foreign currency in the form of remittances can lift the economy to new heights. Pakistani foreign currency accounts maintained abroad are in billions of dollars, and a submission in the Senate of Pakistan said that they account for around $800 billion. That money sooner than later should be in the mainstream of Pakistan economy, provided anti-money laundering policies get thumbs up.</p> 2.43 million Pakistanis worki…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2018-07-31:1119293:Comment:1214252018-07-31T20:06:10.049ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>2.43 million Pakistanis working in Europe</span><br></br><span>By Qadeer TanoliPublished: April 24, 2017</span><br></br><br></br><span><a href="https://tribune.com.pk/story/1391730/overseas-workforce-2-43-million-pakistanis-working-europe/" target="_blank">https://tribune.com.pk/story/1391730/overseas-workforce-2-43-million-pakistanis-working-europe/</a></span><br></br><br></br><span>Out of the total Pakistan’s overseas workforce, 27 per cent have jobs in European countries, revealed statistics shared by…</span></p>
<p><span>2.43 million Pakistanis working in Europe</span><br/><span>By Qadeer TanoliPublished: April 24, 2017</span><br/><br/><span><a href="https://tribune.com.pk/story/1391730/overseas-workforce-2-43-million-pakistanis-working-europe/" target="_blank">https://tribune.com.pk/story/1391730/overseas-workforce-2-43-million-pakistanis-working-europe/</a></span><br/><br/><span>Out of the total Pakistan’s overseas workforce, 27 per cent have jobs in European countries, revealed statistics shared by Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development with the lawmakers in the Senate.</span><br/><br/><span>After Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom caters to the largest overseas Pakistanis followed by Italy, France, Germany and Spain.</span><br/><br/><span>In response to question of senator Rozi Khan Kakar, the ministry stated that presently around 9.08 million workforce is living/working abroad, out of which, 2.43 million got job opportunities in around 25 countries of Europe.</span><br/><br/><span>UK at the moment has provided jobs to 1.7 million Pakistanis. Saudi Arabia continues to be the favourite destination of Pakistani workforce with 2.6 million workers. United Arab Emirates is at the fourth place in the list with 1.6 million and United States fifth with 900,350.</span><br/><br/><span>In Europe, Italy is providing jobs to 119,762 Pakistanis, France 104,000, Germany 90,556, Spain 82,000, Greece 70,002, Norway 38,000 and Netherlands 35,000.</span><br/><br/><span>Turkey is providing jobs to only 557 Pakistani workers while China has accommodated 14,355 Pakistani workers. Chile is providing jobs to 760 Pakistanis and Cuba has given job opportunities to 600 Pakistanis. Afghanistan provided jobs to 71,000 Pakistanis and India 10,000. Iran has provided jobs to 7,065 Pakistanis.</span><br/><br/><span>Currently, 120,216 Pakistanis have been provided jobs in Malaysia and 65,000 in Thailand.</span><br/><br/><span>Libya provided 12,008 Pakistanis jobs, Iraq accommodated 4,709 and Yemen 3,024. Russia gave jobs to 3,560 Pakistanis, stated the statistics.</span><br/><br/><span>The reply also contains that 19 Community Welfare Attaches are posted in Pakistan’s missions abroad in the countries having a sizeable concentration of Pakistanis to provide them certain facilities.</span><br/><br/><span>These facilities include, issuance of passports, provision of assistance in implementation of Foreign Service Agreement which is made between employee and employer and some others.</span></p> How the Pakistani diaspora in…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2018-07-31:1119293:Comment:1217182018-07-31T20:05:46.179ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>How the Pakistani diaspora in Barcelona established itself in the heart of the city</span><br></br><span>Ana Ballesteros Updated December 13, 2017 Facebook Count</span><br></br><br></br><span><a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1376378" target="_blank">https://www.dawn.com/news/1376378</a></span><br></br><br></br><span>My interest in South Asia, and specifically Pakistan, started when I finished my degree in Islamic studies in Madrid.</span><br></br><br></br><span>It was not easy to pursue South Asian studies as a…</span></p>
<p><span>How the Pakistani diaspora in Barcelona established itself in the heart of the city</span><br/><span>Ana Ballesteros Updated December 13, 2017 Facebook Count</span><br/><br/><span><a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1376378" target="_blank">https://www.dawn.com/news/1376378</a></span><br/><br/><span>My interest in South Asia, and specifically Pakistan, started when I finished my degree in Islamic studies in Madrid.</span><br/><br/><span>It was not easy to pursue South Asian studies as a Spanish scholar; unlike other European countries such as the UK, Spain still does not have a university department for this area.</span><br/><br/><span>I moved to India for PhD research for two years (2001-2002) when 9/11 clearly marked a change. Islam came to the forefront of international academic and non-academic interests, often for the wrong reasons.</span><br/><br/><span>When I returned from India, I observed that my friends in Barcelona often talked about the increasing presence of Pakistanis and other people of South Asian origin in the city.</span><br/><br/><span>To the delight of the British nationals in town and other more adventurous citizens, the proliferation of curry houses was a reason to celebrate the formerly less diverse culinary scene.</span><br/><br/><span>It was clear that the Pakistani community in Barcelona had become a talking point. Their presence was unavoidable, particularly after the prayers on Fridays. And nowhere were they more visible than in the neighbourhood of El Raval.</span><br/><br/><span>Many wondered where these men were from, why they dressed like that (shalwar kameez), and why they were seldom accompanied by their womenfolk.</span><br/><br/><span>In 2008, Casa Asia, an institution of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs that promotes knowledge of Asia in Spain, awarded me a grant.</span><br/><br/><span>My project was to conduct a piece of research that would be called Atlas of Pakistani Migration in Spain.</span><br/><br/><span>I took this opportunity to visit Pakistan and travel around Spain to go to the different places where Pakistanis had settled.</span><br/><br/><span>More than half of all Pakistanis in Spain lived in Catalonia, especially Barcelona, which is why I moved there in the summer of 2008.</span><br/><br/><span>Pakistanis in Spain</span><br/><span>Compared with other European countries, Spain has not always been a country of immigrants.</span><br/><br/><span>Pakistanis, for example, have traditionally preferred to migrate to the UK, USA, Canada, and the Gulf because of the better economic prospects in those nations.</span><br/><br/><span>Spain has a population of approximately 46.5 million, of which 9.5% are foreigners. The main foreign nationalities represented in the country are Romanians, Moroccans, British, Italians and Chinese.</span><br/><br/><span>Pakistanis are 1.2% of all foreigners and barely 0.1% of the population in Spain. How have they managed, then, to attract so much attention?</span><br/><br/><span>One of the explanations can be found in their local concentration, in terms of both origin and destination.</span><br/><br/><span>Gujratis make up 44% of all Pakistanis in Spain, while in other destinations in the European Union, they are about 11%.</span><br/><br/><span>As for destination, more than half of all Pakistanis in Spain are in Barcelona.</span><br/><br/><span>At their peak, in 2012, there were about 68,000 Pakistanis in Spain, although the Spanish Institute of Statistics only accounts for those legally resident.</span><br/><br/><span>Several thousand others are thought to have resided there illegally.</span><br/><br/><span>The Pioneers</span><br/><span>The first Pakistanis to arrive in the country were a group of about 300 Gujratis who migrated from other European countries in the 1970s and landed initially in Barcelona.</span><br/><br/><span>Some of the migrants had experience working in mines elsewhere in Europe and Pakistan; some had lost their jobs in factories or mines in the UK where the industrial crisis had begun; others had working experience in oil refineries in Libya.</span><br/><br/><span>Those were the last days of Franco’s dictatorship and Spain’s industrial labour market was small. Some migrants opened shops and boarding houses; others looked for jobs in industry or manufacturing.</span><br/><br/><span>Those who had no previous experience in mining had to learn from scratch. The main mines where they began to work were El Bierzo (coal) and Linares (lead), and others in La Rioja and Teruel.</span></p> PAKISTANI MIGRANTS: A TIGHTR…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2018-03-22:1119293:Comment:1199902018-03-22T17:40:00.003ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p></p>
<p><span>PAKISTANI MIGRANTS: A TIGHTROPE BETWEEN OPPORTUNITY AND DISAPPOINTMENT</span><br></br><span>Mar 20 2018</span><br></br><span>Sabrina Toppa </span><br></br><br></br><span><a href="https://www.migrant-rights.org/2018/03/for-pakistani-workers-migration-is-tightrope-between-opportunity-and-disappointment/" target="_blank">https://www.migrant-rights.org/2018/03/for-pakistani-workers-migration-is-tightrope-between-opportunity-and-disappointment/</a></span><br></br><br></br><span>Pakistan’s Pashtun belt has…</span></p>
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<p><span>PAKISTANI MIGRANTS: A TIGHTROPE BETWEEN OPPORTUNITY AND DISAPPOINTMENT</span><br/><span>Mar 20 2018</span><br/><span>Sabrina Toppa </span><br/><br/><span><a href="https://www.migrant-rights.org/2018/03/for-pakistani-workers-migration-is-tightrope-between-opportunity-and-disappointment/" target="_blank">https://www.migrant-rights.org/2018/03/for-pakistani-workers-migration-is-tightrope-between-opportunity-and-disappointment/</a></span><br/><br/><span>Pakistan’s Pashtun belt has many extended families depending on one person to make ends meet, Umer says. “Most of the time, 30-50 members of an extended family are dependent on a single worker’s salary,” adds 22-year-old Sajjad Hussain, a student from Waziristan. The burden is much higher on Pashtun families.“The main reason they go abroad is because there are no job opportunities in Waziristan.” The region is beset by economic underdevelopment and the fall-out of Pakistani military operations and U.S. drone strikes, and there are few industries to employ young men outside of subsistence agriculture. Residents of Waziristan often migrate to other provinces in Pakistan in search of economic security, but often return empty-handed. “They’re living overseas for five to six years because life is better there,” Sajjad says.</span><br/><br/><span>---------------------</span><br/><br/><span>Today, Pakistan is the second-largest exporter of migrant labour in South Asia, and remittances account for 7% of the country’s GDP. In 2017, approximately half a million Pakistanis migrated overseas through legal channels, though it is estimated that a far higher number sought out migration through irregular channels. Many Pakistanis spend up to USD 9,000 to find a job in countries like Saudi Arabia — in some cases spending 14 times their monthly salary for the opportunity to work abroad.</span><br/><br/><br/><span>-----------------</span><br/><br/><span>Pakistani migrants pay some of the highest recruitment fees in the world for the opportunity to work abroad, says Nasir Iqbal, an Islamabad-based researcher who has studied the cost of Gulf migration. Migrants who rely on friends or family to find jobs often pay astronomical recruitment fees, resulting in asset depletion and heavy debt traps. Part of the problem derives from the fact that most Pakistani migrants organise their jobs outside of the government’s official channels – raising the cost exponentially. If a migrant pursues labour migration through formal means, he normally pays $200-$900 for a bundle of services, the two largest components of which are visa fees and the recruitment agent’s fee. To go to Saudi Arabia outside official channels, the average labourer spends upwards of $4,000 toward the cost of migration. To reach the UAE, the amount is $2,000 on average. Migrants seeking jobs in Saudi Arabia are required to work through a licensed recruitment agency in Pakistan and the Saudi embassy, but some skirt this altogether.</span></p> Globalisation Index 2016 (Tra…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2018-03-13:1119293:Comment:1200642018-03-13T03:35:38.786ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><br></br><span>Globalisation Index 2016 (Trade, capital, information and people) : As world became less connected, India fell 16 spots over 11 years; scores lower on trade, FDI</span><br></br><br></br><span>As flows of trade and people fell the world over since the 2008 global financial crash, India dropped 16 spots to 78 (Pakistan 99) from 62 among 140 countries </span><span class="aBn"><span class="aQJ">in 11 years</span></span><span> , from 2005 to 2015, on a globalisation index brought out by…</span></p>
<p><br/><span>Globalisation Index 2016 (Trade, capital, information and people) : As world became less connected, India fell 16 spots over 11 years; scores lower on trade, FDI</span><br/><br/><span>As flows of trade and people fell the world over since the 2008 global financial crash, India dropped 16 spots to 78 (Pakistan 99) from 62 among 140 countries </span><span class="aBn"><span class="aQJ">in 11 years</span></span><span> , from 2005 to 2015, on a globalisation index brought out by international logistics company DHL.</span><br/><br/><span>The Global Connectedness Index 2016, the fourth since it was first released in 2011, prepared by Pankaj Ghemawat and Steven A Altman (both teach management at New York University Stern School of Business, United States) was released on 15 November, 2016.</span><br/><br/><span>The authors slotted India in the central and south Asia group along with Georgia, Turkey, Nepal, Pakistan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyz Republic and Sri Lanka.</span><br/><br/><span>India ranked 133 (Pakistan 137) on depth and 21 ( Pakistan 32) on breadth among 140 countries in 2015.</span><br/><br/><span>The index measures the parameters on depth and breadth. Depth evaluates the extent to which countries' international flows are distributed globally or more narrowly focused, while breadth compares countries' international flows to the sizes of their domestic economies.</span><br/><br/><span>Trade flows are measured by exports as a share of a country's gross domestic product, capital by foreign direct investment as a share of a country's gross fixed capital and international stock market investment, information by international connectivity and people by share of international tourists and university students and migrants as a share of the population.</span><br/><br/><br/><a href="http://www.firstpost.com/india/globalisation-index-2016-as-world-became-less-connected-india-fell-16-spots-over-11-years-scores-lower-on-trade-fdi-4354109.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://www.firstpost.com/india/globalisation-index-2016-as-world-became-less-connected-india-fell-16-spots-over-11-years-scores-lower-on-trade-fdi-4354109.html</a><br/><br/><br/><a href="http://www.dhl.com/content/dam/downloads/g0/about_us/logistics_insights/gci_2016/DHL_GCI_2016_full_study.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://www.dhl.com/content/dam/downloads/g0/about_us/logistics_insights/gci_2016/DHL_GCI_2016_full_study.pdf</a><span> </span></p> Tragedy at Sea 3,000 Miles Aw…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2018-03-01:1119293:Comment:1200422018-03-01T06:27:10.661ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p>Tragedy at Sea 3,000 Miles Away Resonates in Pakistani Village<br></br>By MEHER AHMAD FEB. 27, 2018</p>
<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/27/world/asia/pakistan-libya-migrants-capsize.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/27/world/asia/pakistan-libya-migrants-capsize.html</a></p>
<p>Local laborers in this largely agrarian area (Gujarat, Pakistan) have streamed overseas in sizable numbers since the 1970s. For years, legal migration was such a force that little towns here…</p>
<p>Tragedy at Sea 3,000 Miles Away Resonates in Pakistani Village<br/>By MEHER AHMAD FEB. 27, 2018</p>
<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/27/world/asia/pakistan-libya-migrants-capsize.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/27/world/asia/pakistan-libya-migrants-capsize.html</a></p>
<p>Local laborers in this largely agrarian area (Gujarat, Pakistan) have streamed overseas in sizable numbers since the 1970s. For years, legal migration was such a force that little towns here were given nicknames like Little Norway and Little Britain, for where their people had gone.</p>
<p>Homes here hint at the mass migration. Tidy mud-brick village houses, surrounded by wheat and rice fields, have been increasingly replaced by mansions with gaudy ironwork and colorful tiles, built with money from overseas relatives. In 2014, almost 30 percent of local households reportedly received foreign remittances.</p>
<p>The houses serve in a sense as billboards for smugglers, proof of money to be made abroad. Ansar Burney, a Pakistani civil rights activist who works to end people smuggling, said the message was persuasive. “If I’m living in these rural towns, I’d be convinced I should go, too,” he said.</p>
<p>For Mr. Shabir, the appeal was hypnotic. “We begged him not to go,” his mother, Hamida Bibi, said between desperate prayers for her son. “But he had made up his mind long ago.”</p>
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<p>Legal migration from Pakistan peaked in 2015 when just under one million Pakistanis left to work overseas. It has since dropped almost by half, Mr. Burney said, with migrants seeking visas squeezed by concerns about terrorism in Europe and economic belt-tightening in the Persian Gulf.</p>
<p>“The Saudis took an initiative to reduce all overseas labor, Pakistanis included,” said Jabbar Chaudry of Pakistan’s Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, adding, “The educated and semi-educated youth no longer have legal windows of opportunity.”</p>
<p></p> Pakistani community in Estoni…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2017-11-01:1119293:Comment:1178952017-11-01T16:40:47.139ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p>Pakistani community in Estonia ‘highly qualified and skilled’<br></br><br></br>The total number Pakistanis in the country is 200 people and vast majority of them are highest degree holders<br></br><br></br><a href="https://www.geo.tv/latest/165490-pakistani-community-in-estonia-highly-qualified-and-skilled" target="_blank">https://www.geo.tv/latest/165490-pakistani-community-in-estonia-highly-qualified-and-skilled</a><br></br><br></br>Majority of the Pakistanis residing in Estonia constitute highly qualified and…</p>
<p>Pakistani community in Estonia ‘highly qualified and skilled’<br/><br/>The total number Pakistanis in the country is 200 people and vast majority of them are highest degree holders<br/><br/><a href="https://www.geo.tv/latest/165490-pakistani-community-in-estonia-highly-qualified-and-skilled" target="_blank">https://www.geo.tv/latest/165490-pakistani-community-in-estonia-highly-qualified-and-skilled</a><br/><br/>Majority of the Pakistanis residing in Estonia constitute highly qualified and skilled people including engineers and software experts, said Chairman Pakistan-Estonia Association (PEA) Dr Yar Mohammad Mughal.<br/><br/>In a meeting with Enn Eesmaa, the first Vice-President of the Estonian Parliament at the parliament House in Tallinn, Mughal said that the total number Pakistanis in the country is 200 people and vast majority of them are highest degree holders.<br/><br/>30 % of the community is highly skilled engineers and software engineers who obtained jobs after completion of their education in Estonia, a country of 1.3 million in the Baltic area. 20% are either self-employed or have odd jobs. The rest are mostly students of PhD, Masters and Bachelors degree programs.<br/><br/>Dr Yar Mohammad also briefed the Vice President of the parliament about aims and objectives of his organisation. The PEA is a platform to strengthen relationships between both countries, to increase trade and cooperation in different sectors such as e-Governance and IT. The organisation also works to promote international mobility to exchange of faculty members, researchers and students<br/><br/>Dr Yar also told the leading Estonian lawmaker about the cultural activities of Pakistani community in different cities of Estonia. Steps and objectives of Pakistan Association Estonia were highly appreciated by Mr. Enn Eesmaa. He emphasized on further efforts for enhancement of ties between Pakistan and Estonia.<br/><br/>Dr Yar Mohammad, who is assistant professor at University of Tartu, Estonia has started his efforts for exchange of students and scholars between the two countries and so far has achieved an agreement on exchange faculty members between NUST University of Pakistan and an Estonian university. During the meeting, the two sides agreed that educational diplomacy can be used as an effective tool in Pak-EU ties, especially Pakistan’s relations with Estonia.<br/><br/>Higher educational institutions of both sides play a significant role to promote bilateral relations, he added. Dr Yar sad that collaborative study and research projects, joint degree, consulting contracts and others activities can be increased between Pakistani and Estonia.</p> 12 #Pakistan-origin candidate…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2017-06-09:1119293:Comment:1145002017-06-09T16:17:43.565ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><span>12 #Pakistan-origin candidates win parliament seats #UK elections. #Election2017 <a href="https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/209599-12-Pakistan-origin-candidates-win-UK-elections" target="_blank">https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/209599-12-Pakistan-origin-candidates-win-UK-elections</a></span><br></br><br></br><span>Twelve Pakistani-origin British candidates have been declared winner in the Britain’s general elections.</span><br></br><br></br><span>Seven Pakistan-origin British contestants belong to…</span></p>
<p><span>12 #Pakistan-origin candidates win parliament seats #UK elections. #Election2017 <a href="https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/209599-12-Pakistan-origin-candidates-win-UK-elections" target="_blank">https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/209599-12-Pakistan-origin-candidates-win-UK-elections</a></span><br/><br/><span>Twelve Pakistani-origin British candidates have been declared winner in the Britain’s general elections.</span><br/><br/><span>Seven Pakistan-origin British contestants belong to Labour Party and three to Conservative. Among them five are women.</span><br/><br/><span>Shahbana Mahmood of the labour party originally hails from Mirpur Azad Kashmir crushed all opponents in Birmingham Ladywood securing 34,166 votes (82.7% of the total vote). There was a turnout of 59 per cent which was lower than most in the region.</span><br/><br/><span>Dr. Roseena Allin Khan of the labour party won Tooting with 34,201 votes. Khan’s mother is from Poland and her father is originally from Pakistan.</span><br/><br/><span>Yasmin Qureshi originally from Gujrat has been re-elected in Bolton South East with 25,676 votes. The voter turnout in Bolton South East was 61.4%.</span><br/><br/><span>Naseem Naz Shah of the labour party won Bradford West with 27,444 votes which is 64.7% of the total votes. She was born in Bradford and spent some of her childhood in Pakistan where she went through a tragic youth before moving back to Britain.</span><br/><br/><br/><span>Imran Hussain of the labour party won Bradford East with 29,831 votes. He is originally of Pakistani descent.</span><br/><br/><span>Khalid Mahmood from Mirpuri descent won Birmingham Perry Bar for the labour party with 30,109 votes.</span><br/><br/><br/><span>Afzal Khan of the labour party won the constituency of Manchester Gordon and Faisal Rashid Faisal Rashid of the labour party won Warrington South.</span><br/><br/><br/><span>Nusrat Munir Ul Ghani of the conservative party won 37,027 votes 61.2% of the total votes. Her parents are originally from Kashmir.</span><br/><br/><span>Rehman Chishti of the conservative party won Gillingham and Rainham with 27,091 votes. He was born in Muzaffarabad Azad Kashmir. His father has served as Federal Adviser on religious affairs to the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir in Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s era.</span><br/><br/><span>Sajid Javed of the conservative party won Bromsgrove with 33,493 votes. He is one of the five sons of parents of Pakistani descent.</span><br/><br/><span>30 candidates of Pakistani origin be contested the June 8 general elections in the United Kingdom, BBC Urdu reported.</span><br/><br/><span>According to lists of candidates released by different political parties, the Labour Party had given more tickets to women and Pakistani-origin citizens than any other party.</span></p> #Pakistani woman Hina Bhatti…tag:www.pakalumni.com,2017-01-24:1119293:Comment:1131522017-01-24T03:37:09.469ZRiaz Haqhttp://www.pakalumni.com/profile/riazul
<p><a class="twitter-hashtag pretty-link js-nav" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistani?src=hash">#Pakistani</a> <span>woman Hina Bhatti makes history in</span> <a class="twitter-hashtag pretty-link js-nav" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Belgium?src=hash">#Belgium</a> <span>as City Council President…</span></p>
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistani?src=hash" class="twitter-hashtag pretty-link js-nav" dir="ltr">#Pakistani</a> <span>woman Hina Bhatti makes history in</span> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Belgium?src=hash" class="twitter-hashtag pretty-link js-nav" dir="ltr">#Belgium</a> <span>as City Council President</span></p>
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<p><span><a href="http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/pakistan/pakistani-woman-makes-history-in-belgium-1.1966723" target="_blank">http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/pakistan/pakistani-woman-makes-history-in-belgium-1.1966723</a></span></p>
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<p>A Pakistan-origin woman has been appointed president of the municipal council of Ostend, in Belgium’s West Flanders province.</p>
<p>Hina Bhatti, a 34-year-old liberal politician who was born in Belgium is proud of her Pakistani roots.</p>
<p>“I have found it always very positive that I can combine the better aspects of two cultures. I don’t mind when people talk about my roots. I have many contacts within the different communities. We have [always] had an open house where everybody is welcome,” Bhatti said in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws, a Dutch newspaper.</p>
<p>Bhatti said her parents arrived in Belgium 40 years ago from Pakistan.</p>
<p>“I was born and raised in Ostend and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else,” she adds.</p>
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<p>Her family speaks both Urdu and Dutch at home and finds it very encouraging to live the best of both cultures — Pakistani and Belgian.</p>
<p>She studied economy-modern languages in the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe College in Antwerp, Belgium.</p>
<p>Later, Bhati worked for a year in the cabinet of Bart Tommelein when he was secretary of state.</p>
<p>With her new position, Bhatti said she aims to work for the progress of all Belgian citizens.</p>
<p>“I am into mainstream politics with a vision to work for all Belgians. I mobilised my support mainly among local Belgian masses and have support of all immigrants as well as the Pakistani community based in West Flanders province,” she said peaking to Pakistan’s Geo News.</p>
<p>Bhatti sees her new position within the council as an important symbol.</p>
<p>“Young people attach little importance to politics and therefore it is good that young women are offered opportunities. I want to work for all equally as President of the Council and with my work, I hope to attain a place in the council in next elections too,” shew was quoted as saying by daily Het Laatste Nieuws.</p>
<p>There are many important regional and national politicians in the municipal council of Ostend including John Crombez, head of the Flemish socialists, Johan Vande Lanotte, minister of state and mayor; Wouter De Vriend, important MP of the green party and Björn Anseeuw regional MP for the Flemish nationalists.</p>