Islamabad (January 6, 2026) The Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, chaired by Syed Rafiullah, expressed serious concern over gaps in oversight and accountability after receiving briefings from Community Welfare Attachés posted in the Gulf region. Members said the quality of briefings fell short of expectations and underlined the urgent need for a systematic CWA performance framework.
The Federal Investigation Agency outlined plans for a “refusal to departure cell” that is currently under review by the CCLC and explained that Standard Operating Procedures for pre-departure facilitation desks at airports have been developed to ensure departing citizens can be heard. The Committee directed that information about these desks be displayed at immigration counters in Urdu so travellers who feel they were wrongly offloaded can seek immediate redress.
Committee members noted that the Ministry sought more time to conduct qualitative reviews and said it would undertake a structured performance audit of CWAs. The Committee stressed that absence of any systematic audit mechanism is unacceptable given the large scale of Pakistan’s overseas workforce and welfare responsibilities, and it asked the Ministry to link CWA performance directly to formal performance audits and qualitative reviews.
Briefings from CWAs in the Gulf covered deployment numbers, welfare facilitation, jail visits and prevailing labour market conditions, but the Committee raised pointed questions about gaps at key stations, officers serving beyond their tenures without a defined legal framework, and the lack of consolidated timelines for postings and extensions. The Chair observed that Pakistan’s CWA presence in the region remains limited relative to the size of its expatriate workforce and called for clearer posting strategies.
On Bahrain, members examined labour agreements, skill collaboration initiatives and challenges resulting from localisation policies. The Committee highlighted delays in Joint Technical Committee meetings, limited progress on major bilateral projects and concerns about the non-recognition of certain Pakistani qualifications abroad. The Ministry gave assurances that these qualification issues would be raised with relevant authorities.
Particular concern was voiced over recruitment complaints from candidates tested and interviewed for welder placements to Korea that did not materialise; the Committee directed that the matter be thoroughly investigated and that findings be shared. Members also drew attention to governance weaknesses in allied organisations, delays in repatriation of deceased overseas Pakistanis and the underutilisation of assets, urging institutional reforms to tackle corruption and inefficiency.
The Committee recommended that the Ministry frame clear rules governing extensions, regularise CWA posting extensions where appropriate, review repatriation procedures for deceased workers, consolidate and improve the quality of briefings submitted to the Committee, and provide complete data on complaints received against CWAs. These steps were presented as necessary to strengthen overseas welfare delivery and accountability.
The meeting was attended by MNAs including Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti, Mian Khan Bugti, Fateh Ullah Khan, Erum Hamid, Mah Jabeen Khan Abbasi, Muhammad Ilyas Choudhary, Saeeda Jamshid, Zulfiqar Ali Behan and Farhan Chishti. The Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development and officers from the Ministry and the Federal Investigation Agency also attended and received the Committee’s directives.
