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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting on evacuating Pakistanis from Iran and those residing in Gulf countries. According to an official statement from the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office, officials briefed PM Sharif on the ongoing process to evacuate Pakistani nationals from Iran. Pakistani nationals are/have been returning safely, officials reported. The meeting reviewed steps by Pakistani embassies to assist citizens in Gulf countries. PM Sharif directed that all embassies must remain available around the clock to provide facilities. He directed the country&rsquo;s Foreign Office to monitor the situation continuously. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Adviser to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah, Minister of State Talal Chaudhry, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi, and other senior officials. Foreign Office statement Meanwhile, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi on Thursday stated that the government has initiated proactive measures to evacuate its citizens from Iran and support stranded nationals across the region. According to an official statement released by the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs&#39; Crisis Management Unit (CMU) now operates 24 hours a day. Staff members monitor regional developments and provide direct assistance to Pakistani nationals. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 922px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2029518714681561551&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=5d6cf356a38ac6626b66c098452c18dee51dc81a&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2029518714681561551"></iframe></div></div> Andrabi stated that under directives from PM Sahrif, Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic missions have opened Special Facilitation Desks. These centers manage visa facilitation, logistics, and travel arrangements for stranded citizens. Missions also launched dedicated mobile applications, registration portals, and helplines to improve outreach. The spokesperson said that Pakistani diplomats are working with host governments to secure consular support for the diaspora. Commercial flights have partially resumed, allowing some stranded individuals to begin returning to their destinations. He stated that the government continues to prioritize the safety and return of overseas Pakistanis. Emergency contact details for the ministry and its missions are available on official websites.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting on evacuating Pakistanis from Iran and those residing in Gulf countries.(PMO)

Foreign Affairs

PM Sharif directed that all embassies must remain available around the clock to provide facilities.

PM Sharif chairs meeting on evacuating Pakistanis from Iran, Gulf

Faraz Saeed

LAHORE: Pakistan registered 727,381 workers for overseas employment last year through the Bureau of Emigration &amp; Overseas Employment (BE&amp;OE) and the Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC), according to the Economic Survey 2024-25. Such figures often fuel warnings of an accelerating &ldquo;brain drain.&rdquo; Analysts argue that talent is fleeing and the country is &ldquo;bleeding its brightest minds.&rdquo; Those concerns reflect real pressures at home: stubborn unemployment, particularly among educated youth, and what many describe as an entrenched culture of nepotism, corruption, and favoritism. For young Pakistanis, the gap between achievement and opportunity has widened. A 2023 Gallup Pakistan survey reported that 62% of young professionals would prefer to work abroad if given the chance. Yet migration is also one of the country&rsquo;s strongest economic pillars. Overseas Pakistanis sent home $38.5 billion in remittances last year, the single largest source of foreign exchange. These inflows support households, stabilize reserves, and sustain businesses. Economists say many expatriates now work as &ldquo;investors, founders, and connectors,&rdquo; linking Pakistan to global markets. Data also challenges the conventional narrative. Research by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) shows that more than 765,000 Pakistanis migrated in 2022-23, but only 2% were highly qualified, while the rest were skilled or semi-skilled. &ldquo;This isn&rsquo;t brains fleeing,&rdquo; one researcher noted. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a workforce on the move.&rdquo; Global trends reinforce that view. India, which received $123 billion in remittances last year, frames migration as a strategic advantage. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has dismissed &ldquo;brain drain&rdquo; as &ldquo;a term from the last century.&rdquo; Academic studies echo this shift. A landmark review in science finds that high-skilled mobility often results in &ldquo;brain gain.&rdquo; University of Michigan economist Dean Yang said, &ldquo;Migration creates positive feedback loops; people study more when they see pathways abroad; remittances fund education; diaspora networks bring back technology and trade.&rdquo; International examples show similar effects. When 27,000 Filipino nurses moved to the United States, more than 80,000 new nurses were trained at home. India&rsquo;s surge in IT graduates followed easier tech visa policies abroad. Managed mobility, researchers argue, expands the talent pool rather than depletes it. With a diaspora of nine million, Pakistan stands at a similar turning point. Overseas Pakistanis send back billions, launch companies, and represent the country across boardrooms, universities, and political institutions worldwide. The challenge, experts say, is not to restrict mobility but to build conditions that encourage return. That requires predictable policy, fair taxation, and a governance climate where &ldquo;ideas, not influence, are currency.&rdquo; Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir summed up the shift, calling overseas Pakistanis an example of &ldquo;brain gain, not brain drain.&rdquo; Global success stories reinforce the point. India celebrated when Satya Nadella became Microsoft&rsquo;s CEO and Kamala Harris became US vice president. Pakistanis felt similar pride when Syeda Warsi entered the British cabinet or Sadiq Khan, the son of a Pakistani bus driver, became London&rsquo;s mayor. Analysts argue Pakistan must adopt the same mindset. Each dollar sent home, each business link forged abroad, and each professional succeeding globally, they say, &ldquo;is not a drain; it&rsquo;s a dividend.&rdquo;

Economy

 Pakistan registered 727,381 workers for overseas employment last year through the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment (BE&OE) and the Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC)

Pakistan recasts migration as economic dividend, not brain drain

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif termed his meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, as highly constructive and productive for strengthening the bilateral relationship between Pakistan and the US.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Speaking to UK-based Pakistani journalists in London, he said that the US President has assured him of advancing bilateral economic cooperation, appreciating President Trump&#39;s important role in the Pakistan-India ceasefire. On Sunday, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister&#39;s Office, the premier said his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington was &ldquo;very useful&rdquo; and signaled improving Pakistan-US relations.&nbsp;Speaking yesterday, Sharif praised the diaspora as a &ldquo;valuable asset&rdquo; and a source of &ldquo;honor&rdquo; for the nation.&nbsp; He credited them for contributing to Pakistan&rsquo;s economic recovery, saying the economy was stabilizing after serious challenges faced two to three years ago. &ldquo;Our economy is moving in the right direction because of joint efforts. Economic stability is the result of excellent teamwork,&rdquo; Sharif said.&nbsp;The prime minister also highlighted progress on the military and diplomatic fronts. &ldquo;Pakistan has achieved great progress on military, economic, and diplomatic fronts. The country is moving forward externally, militarily, and economically,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s honor and dignity have increased.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;We won the war and defeated the enemy.&rdquo;&nbsp;On Gaza, the prime minister decried unprecedented suffering, saying more than 64,000 Palestinians had been killed. &ldquo;This oppression must end and peace should come soon,&rdquo; he said, while welcoming engagement on the issue during meetings between Muslim and Arab leaders and Trump on the sidelines of the UNGA summit.&nbsp;The PMO stated that Sharif&rsquo;s remarks underscored his government&rsquo;s commitment to strengthening international partnerships, supporting overseas communities, and promoting peace and stability in the region.

Calls meeting with the US president 'very useful,' crediting overseas Pakistanis for economic progress and stressing Pakistan’s achievements on diplomacy, security, and its stance on Gaza and Kashmir.

Articles tagged with "overseas Pakistan"

PM Sharif chairs meeting on evacuating Pakistanis from Iran, Gulf

Pakistan recasts migration as economic dividend, not brain drain

PM Sharif terms meeting with Trump as 'highly constructive, productive' for relationship

PM Sharif terms meeting with Trump as 'highly constructive, productive' for relationship