Overseas Pakistanis minister reviews consular services during Dubai visit

Dubai: Minister of State for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Muhammad Awn Chaudhry visited the Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai on Thursday, where he reviewed consular services and called for greater efforts to improve facilities and support for the Pakistani community in the UAE.

Consul General of Pakistan in Dubai Hussain Muhammad and senior officers of the Consulate welcomed the minister on his arrival.

During an interactive meeting with Consulate officials, Chaudhry appreciated their efforts to facilitate the large Pakistani diaspora in the UAE and emphasised the need to further strengthen services for community members.

The minister highlighted the importance of expanding skills training, increasing community awareness initiatives and improving facilities at the Consulate to make services more accessible and responsive to the needs of overseas Pakistanis.

He also visited different sections of the Consulate that provide services to the public and interacted with officials about their responsibilities, workload and service delivery.

Pakistani missions abroad play a key role in providing essential consular services to citizens, including passport-related assistance, document attestation, nationality and other identity-related services, as well as support to citizens facing emergencies or other difficulties overseas.

The visit also comes as the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development continues to expand its focus beyond employment and welfare to include skills development, migrant protection, grievance redressal and stronger engagement with the Pakistani diaspora.

The ministry oversees a number of institutions, including the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), Overseas Employment Corporation and Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, which collectively support Pakistanis seeking employment abroad as well as those already living and working overseas.

The OPF provides a range of services for overseas Pakistanis and their families, including complaint redressal, financial assistance, legal support, education-related programmes, housing, airport facilitation and assistance in crisis situations. It has also been working to expand digital and citizen-centric services.

The ministry’s broader approach includes improving the welfare of migrant workers, promoting safe and regulated overseas employment and strengthening coordination between government institutions and Pakistani missions abroad.