Italy has shown willingness to revise job quota for Pakistan with a view to enhance the number of Pakistanis workers, Pakistan's Labor, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said, according to an official statement. Khan, currently on a visit to Italy, stated this after holding meetings with Italian Minister for Interior Gluseppe Plsanu and Deputy Foreign Minister Ms Margherita Boniver in Rome. Ghuseppe assured him that Italian authorities would ensure all legitimate rights of the Pakistani expatriates in Italy, who were law abiding and useful members of the society. Khan said that Pakistan succeeded in securing a job quota of 1000 workers last year. He said Italy is the only European country, which has given such a quota to Pakistan. The minister said the issue of streamlining visa procedure to the families of Pakistanis immigrants also came under discussion in meeting with the Deputy Foreign Minister of Italy, who assured that her ministry is taking necessary remedial measures in this regard. Khan said that Italian authorities responded positively to his suggestion for the two countries to initiate work on bilateral agreements for exchange of prisoners and payment of pensions and welfare benefits in Pakistan, to Pakistani workers returning home upon the conclusion of their work in Italy. The minister explained the concrete steps taken by Pakistan to combat human smuggling. He said that both sides stressed the importance of Readmission Agreement, which would facilitate greater inflow of legal migrants to Italy.
