04-21-2009, 04:19 AM
Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) now a days is sending Forms for collecting data of Pakistanis working abroad. Keep in mind it is addressing through emails. The purpose as OPF wants us to believe is âto serveâ the OPs community in a better way after collection of data.
Many of our independent intellectuals do not believe on Government's data work. At least twice in recent month our hero Dr. Adbul Qadir Khan has repeated he did not believe on government data or figure work which according to him is mostly incorrect and serves no practical purpose. There needs to be no other comment or view when we see the figure work of the government highlighting how daily prices have come down, how life of common man is getting styled compared to what situation we see today in our continuously shrinking kitchens. Is any one including that of OPF really interested in collection of true data? The National Assembly Public Accounts Committee a few years back remarked the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, the OPF etc have no interest with the Overseas Pakistanis. The self explanatory answer in itself lies in the very simple thing that OPF is sending this data collection Form through emails. How many OPs are literate and have email facility more particularly in the Middle East that OPF would through this mode have access to them?. I might still have years old two press clippings. One was in the early morning newspaper of 30 June of that year saying the CBR was short of so and so million reaching the targets. I do not remember the figure but as usual it was too big. Next morning 01st July early morning newspapers had that the CBR had crossed the target by so and so millions/billions. Overnight? How much energy or time I take playing with figure work.
Ministry of Manpower & Overseas Pakistanis, or Overseas Pakistanis Foundation or for that matter the Government never had nor has any real interest in collection of such data. I worked in a foreign country for more than 25 years. In speeches by our Ambassadors or functionaries there sometime they gave one figure about number of Pakistanis working there and next time totally a different figure. In fact they never had any true figure because the Embassy never had any interest in collection of such a data nor ever really interested in knowing this. I despite being just an ordinary worker there knew almost the correct figure time to time but our Embassy did not know as to how simple it was go get this figure. Sometime our authorities post staff on our airports questioning arriving Pakistanis from where they came, when they will go back on work etc purpose of which is only to prepare data and claim how many people âwe sentâ abroad on employment.
If there is any honesty in any effort then the no job is ever difficult. For example. When separate National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis was introduced claiming that the foreign governments require this the intellectuals protested on it that this was unnecessary and this only appeared to be a money generating new idea. On this NADRA came up with an explanation that in addition to NICOP a requirement of the foreign governments, it will also enable the Government of Pakistan to have updated data about Pakistanis working abroad (OPs). NICOP was introduced I think more than 10 years back. During these 10 years every Pakistani working abroad had at least once changed his passport with new one, infants became teenagers fetching their own independent passports, every Pakistani during these 10 years at least once attended the Embassy for any attestation jobs. For all these services though not required under any written law but the presentation of oneâs NICOP is illegally a must hence every one had got his NICOP. During the last 10 years no worker came abroad unless he possessed his NICOP and registered with OPF. So almost 95% data of these OPs is already with the NADRA/OPF so why this need of wasting money on a futile exercise of collection of data? Can through merely email contacts full data be obtained? The other day in a speech it was said that Pakistan Embassies can not work fully without the help of Pakistanis in those countries. Three years back our one Ambassador in a Middle East country used to often say lifting his arm in the air that his level of status was to that height while of those the community leaders in the Pakistani Club was too low. No OPF, no NADRA or no Embassy to this senior citizen having remained abroad for 25 years can collect best authenticated data of Pakistanis abroad without seeking and requesting the active help from Pakistani community associations, clubs abroad but this help seeking request needs to be based recognizing due status of these community clubs/associations and not those foreign government registered bodies as subordinate to Pakistani embassy bureaucracy.
Many of our independent intellectuals do not believe on Government's data work. At least twice in recent month our hero Dr. Adbul Qadir Khan has repeated he did not believe on government data or figure work which according to him is mostly incorrect and serves no practical purpose. There needs to be no other comment or view when we see the figure work of the government highlighting how daily prices have come down, how life of common man is getting styled compared to what situation we see today in our continuously shrinking kitchens. Is any one including that of OPF really interested in collection of true data? The National Assembly Public Accounts Committee a few years back remarked the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, the OPF etc have no interest with the Overseas Pakistanis. The self explanatory answer in itself lies in the very simple thing that OPF is sending this data collection Form through emails. How many OPs are literate and have email facility more particularly in the Middle East that OPF would through this mode have access to them?. I might still have years old two press clippings. One was in the early morning newspaper of 30 June of that year saying the CBR was short of so and so million reaching the targets. I do not remember the figure but as usual it was too big. Next morning 01st July early morning newspapers had that the CBR had crossed the target by so and so millions/billions. Overnight? How much energy or time I take playing with figure work.
Ministry of Manpower & Overseas Pakistanis, or Overseas Pakistanis Foundation or for that matter the Government never had nor has any real interest in collection of such data. I worked in a foreign country for more than 25 years. In speeches by our Ambassadors or functionaries there sometime they gave one figure about number of Pakistanis working there and next time totally a different figure. In fact they never had any true figure because the Embassy never had any interest in collection of such a data nor ever really interested in knowing this. I despite being just an ordinary worker there knew almost the correct figure time to time but our Embassy did not know as to how simple it was go get this figure. Sometime our authorities post staff on our airports questioning arriving Pakistanis from where they came, when they will go back on work etc purpose of which is only to prepare data and claim how many people âwe sentâ abroad on employment.
If there is any honesty in any effort then the no job is ever difficult. For example. When separate National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis was introduced claiming that the foreign governments require this the intellectuals protested on it that this was unnecessary and this only appeared to be a money generating new idea. On this NADRA came up with an explanation that in addition to NICOP a requirement of the foreign governments, it will also enable the Government of Pakistan to have updated data about Pakistanis working abroad (OPs). NICOP was introduced I think more than 10 years back. During these 10 years every Pakistani working abroad had at least once changed his passport with new one, infants became teenagers fetching their own independent passports, every Pakistani during these 10 years at least once attended the Embassy for any attestation jobs. For all these services though not required under any written law but the presentation of oneâs NICOP is illegally a must hence every one had got his NICOP. During the last 10 years no worker came abroad unless he possessed his NICOP and registered with OPF. So almost 95% data of these OPs is already with the NADRA/OPF so why this need of wasting money on a futile exercise of collection of data? Can through merely email contacts full data be obtained? The other day in a speech it was said that Pakistan Embassies can not work fully without the help of Pakistanis in those countries. Three years back our one Ambassador in a Middle East country used to often say lifting his arm in the air that his level of status was to that height while of those the community leaders in the Pakistani Club was too low. No OPF, no NADRA or no Embassy to this senior citizen having remained abroad for 25 years can collect best authenticated data of Pakistanis abroad without seeking and requesting the active help from Pakistani community associations, clubs abroad but this help seeking request needs to be based recognizing due status of these community clubs/associations and not those foreign government registered bodies as subordinate to Pakistani embassy bureaucracy.
