[gallery size="medium" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" td_gallery_title_input="Khan appeals to community to help distressed compatriots" ids="75456,75457,75458"] By Syed Mussarat Khalil JEDDAH — The Consulate General of Pakistan here organized an interactive session with the members of the Pakistani community regarding the ongoing crisis of stranded Pakistanis in a number of Labor Camps in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The interactive session was held at the Consulate General building. A number of distinguished and prominent business executives of the Pakistani and Saudi community attended the meeting. Consul General Shehryar Akbar Khan and Pakistani Community Welfare Consul Abdul Basit Maqsood Abbasi briefed the attendees on the steps taken by the Pakistan Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate General here for the relief of affected and distressed employees and laborers particularly of the Saudi Oger and Saudi Binladin Group. Addressing the gathering Shehryar Akbar Khan said, "Last week we held a brain-storming session at the consulate about the solution and measures that needs to be taken for the relief of the distressed people. "The consulate then called on the eminent members of the community to come forward and help them through their ordeal and to find jobs for them along with transfers." He added, "Ambassador Manzoorul Haque is also very active in trying to solve the problems and providing all possible help in food supply to the labor camps, renewal of their Iqamas, (residence permit), transfer of sponsorship, claims, dues, end of service awards, travel documents and renewal of passports for these of stranded Pakistani workers." He said, "The ambassador is also in contact with Islamabad and soon the Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development in Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's cabinet will visit Saudi Arabia." Community Welfare Consul Abdul Basit Maqsood Abbasi opened the meeting and elaborated that the Pakistani workers are skilled, familiar with the local environment and are the backbone of our economy. We should develop a strategy that will help grow the market.
