The construction on the new Pakistan Consulate building will be started soon in Jeddah's Al-Rehab District, said Pakistan Consul General Zaigham Uddin Azam. The new premises will be accommodating as many as 1,000 persons at a time enabling them to get their work done in half-an-hour. “The building will consist of six blocks including community block with a specious auditorium for 2,000 people and sports facilities,” said Azam. “There will be a consular block, office block; Consul General's residence and officers and staff residential blocks.” The new building was inaugurated by the former prime minister Shaukat Aziz in 2006. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gailani during his address to the Pakistani community in his recent visit assured that the expatriate Pakistanis in Jeddah will soon hear good news. The Consul General said consultants for the construction of the new building have already been appointed and a three-member committee has given green signal for the construction. The work for construction will start as and when funds are released and the building will be completed within two years, he added. On a question, the Consul General informed that he has visited all governorates in the Western Region and met the governors, police chiefs and high officials of the administration. He highlighted the problems and issues being faced by the Pakistani community. He said that the Consulate General is in touch with these officials for solving all problems and issues facing by Pakistanis. “I have visited almost all the prisons and met Pakistanis detained on various charges. I will visit Abha jail as well to meet the Pakistani prisoners on August 8,” he said. On a question about Pakistani schools, the Consul General said the work on the Pakistani schools in Makkah and Madina is in progress. A tuition center cum school will be set up in Jizan soon, he added. The Consul General informed that website www.pak.consualte.com of the Consulate has been launched on which all the e-mail addresses of officers and their telephone/mobile numbers have been given. “A 24-hour counter is working where the official on duty attends to all inquiries especially relating to the death cases.” The Consulate General has started free medical camps in Madina, Makkah, Taif and Jeddah. “A record sum of SR17.37 million has been collected as blood-money, during three and-a-half-years. Besides, other welfare activities including transportation of dead bodies, provision of stretchers, issue of out passes etc. has also been undertaken,” stated Azam, and appealed to the Pakistani community to register themselves with the Consulate General so that they can be extended all possible facilities and help. “They can download the forms from the Consulate website. These forms are also available from the Petition Writers and the visiting consular teams to various stations”, he said. __
