ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development has demanded swift character and police verification for overseas Pakistanis following briefings on European missions.
The Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development was chaired by Syed Rafiullah on Wednesday to consider the country-wise performance of Community Welfare Attachés (CWAs) in Europe. It received mission reports from CWAs covering Italy, Spain and Greece and noted common operational shortcomings requiring urgent remedial action.
Members recorded concern over repeated instances of passport loss, inconsistent character-verification practices across provinces, delays in apostille processing and limited capacity for regular prison outreach. The chairman underlined that facilitation must be matched by clear, accountable processes and verifiable outcomes.
Regarding Italy, the mission reported a substantial Pakistani population and confirmed progress on a bilateral MoU signed in 2025, as well as an allocation of 3,500 labour slots (including 1,500 non-seasonal). The panel was apprised of pending work visas, passport loss cases (including repeat losses), and verification backlogs in certain provinces, notably Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the national status verification system is not yet online. The CWA for Spain outlined the mission’s efforts following a prolonged vacancy. The station is working to regularise applicants, targeting 20,000 regularisations among 140,000 resident Pakistanis. However, apostille delays, difficulties in obtaining National Police Bureau certificates, and issues related to repeated passport losses pose as regular hurdles.
With respect to Greece, members took note of a documented community of approximately 51,000 Pakistanis. The mission reported employer interest in agriculture, construction and tourism, as well as a nursing recruitment approach from an Athens-based medical group. The committee noted the difficulty in securing minimum-wage protections for undocumented workers and sought a report from the Ministry on issues related to the staff of the Greece station.
The NA panel welcomed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ plan for a one-window apostille operation, to be developed in coordination with the National Police Bureau, and demanded an expedited timeline.
