Pakistanis at the open day at the mission in Doha yesterday. RIGHT: Pakistani Ambassador Syed Hassan Raza addressing the gathering. Abdul Basit
Doha: More than 300 people attended the Pakistan embassy open house yesterday, some of whom raised concerns about the delay in passports.
The session, organised at the Pakistan embassy, saw a large turnout from Pakistanis working in different sectors, including community members residing in Al Khor and Dukhan areas.
Addressing the gathering, the Pakistani Ambassador Syed Hassan Raza said the embassy is ready to go all lengths to protect the rights of Pakistanis in Qatar.
“We want to reach out to all Pakistanis in Qatar so that they feel comfortable in sharing their concerns and issues with the embassy,” he said.
“We are ready to go to all lengths to protect our fellow citizens,” the envoy added.
Some people had reported delays in the issuance and renewal of passports. Raza said the Immigration and Passport Department has overcome the issue and the backlog of passports had been cleared.
“Now all passports are being issued as per the routine,” he said.
The embassy is planning to launch a new website that will give details of the facilities provided by the mission.
Details about the Resident Permit (RP) section and National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) were also discussed during the session.
The ambassador said the mission also plans to revive the facilities provided by the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) that contributes toward the social welfare of Pakistanis settled in different countries. The OPF had been inactive in Qatar for some 10 years.
The foundation falls under the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and is responsible for providing a number of facilities such as granting scholarships and stipends for students.
A separate quota is also set for overseas Pakistanis in housing schemes based in Pakistan, and those who hold remittance cards can also renew passports without fee.
“The embassy plans to arrange a separate meeting to inform people about the OPF and to identify ways in which the foundation can help Pakistanis in Qatar,” an official of the embassy said.
The Peninsula
