From a pakistani newspaper
Afghanistan a new destination for skilled labour
From the Newspaper | Peshawar | By Zulfiqar Ali
PESHAWAR: As the global financial slowdown has shrunken job market for Pakistani labour, new avenues have been opened in Afghanistan, so they have started thronging Afghan Consulate in Peshawar for obtaining visas to assist Afghans in rebuilding of their country, ragged by three-decade long civil war.
Majority of the visa seekers come to Peshawar from Punjab province, the country agricultural hub. Skilled and unskilled labour holding their green passports line up daily in front of the consulate to get visa. Afghan Embassy in Islamabad and its consulates in Quetta and Karachi also issue visas without fee.
Nadeem Daud, hailing from Jhang district, has applied for visit visa at Afghan Consulate in Peshawar. Instead of looking for job in Pakistan or Gulf countries, Daud, a carpenter by profession, used to get visit visa and proceed to Kabul for job. High wages and employment opportunities in Afghanistan are attracting skilled workers.
“For me Kabul is better then Dubai because you can get free visit visa within three days. Employer provides free stay and food. Minimum wage of a carpenter is Rs40,000 per month,” he added. He said that maximum monthly wage in Afghanistan was up to Rs80,000.
Pakistani workers go to Afghanistan for employment on visit visa, because Afghan embassy and consulates does not issue work permit to job seekers. They look for employers in different sectors mostly construction. After finding suitable job, Afghans and foreign employers get work permits for them from Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Afghanistan.
Haji Meraj, First Secretary at the Afghan Consulate, said that over 200 Pakistanis were issued visit visas daily in Peshawar and the number of applicants was increasing with the advent of spring. He said that visa process was completed within two to three days and rejection rate was zero.
“Here Afghan consulate does not reject visa if the applicant has valid passport,” he said. From January 22 to February 22 some 3,000 applicants were issued visas in Peshawar, according to the official statement.
Pakistani students from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) were also issued study visas. Pakistani nationals were given admissions in universities in Kabul and Jalalabad, he said.
Afghanistan has become major market for Pakistani traders and products. Pakistan`s annual exports to Afghanistan have exceeded $1.5 billon figures while millions of dollars irregular trade is also taking place between the two countries.
Roughly over 100,000 Pakistani professionals and skilled workers including IT experts, bankers, doctors, engineers, masons, carpenters, tailors and embroiders have been engaged in rebuilding of the war-ravaged country.
Two brothers from Punjab, Hafiz Ashiq Hussain and Sadiq Hussain, were also on way to Kabul. They hoped to a get job at a flour mill in Kabul. Sadiq Hussain said that he had been in Kabul for the last three years.
A group of young embroiders from Peshawar has also applied for visa. Amir Rehman, who was leading the group, said that they went to Kabul in summer and returned to Peshawar in winter. He said that winter was very harsh in Kabul and they moved back to Peshawar.
Global recession has minimised employment opportunities for Pakistani labourers abroad including Middle East. But Afghanistan has become blessing in disguise for Pakistani workers and despite heavy presence demand is increasing with each passing day. Afghan investors and employers are taking skilled workers to their country.
Abdul Sattar, a resident of Mazar Sharif (Afghanistan), hired a baker in Peshawar. He said that Pakistani labourers were cheaper than Afghans that was why they hired workers from Peshawar and Punjab.
“We treat Pakistanis as our guests, not employees. We provide them free accommodation in hujras and food,” he said.
Former president of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ghulam Sarwar Khan Mohmand said that migration of workers to Afghanistan had created vacuum in the local market which caused shortage while cost of labour had increased. He said that Afghanistan had 70 per cent reliance on Pakistani workers.
Regardless of presence of hundreds of thousands of workers in Afghanistan both countries have yet take official steps for the documentation and regularisation of these people. Officials said that Pakistan government had yet to frame policies for workers in Afghanistan.
Pakistanis go to Afghanistan on visit visa for seeking jobs. They do not register themselves with Bureau of Immigrants and Protectorate which looks after affairs of oversees Pakistanis.
An official said that Pakistani workers in Afghanistan could not claim employment benefits from their employers. He said that risk factor was also involved in Afghanistan particularly in the Pakhtun populated areas where armed insurgency was still going on.
Afghanistan a new destination for skilled labour | Provinces | DAWN.COM
Afghanistan a new destination for skilled labour
From the Newspaper | Peshawar | By Zulfiqar Ali
PESHAWAR: As the global financial slowdown has shrunken job market for Pakistani labour, new avenues have been opened in Afghanistan, so they have started thronging Afghan Consulate in Peshawar for obtaining visas to assist Afghans in rebuilding of their country, ragged by three-decade long civil war.
Majority of the visa seekers come to Peshawar from Punjab province, the country agricultural hub. Skilled and unskilled labour holding their green passports line up daily in front of the consulate to get visa. Afghan Embassy in Islamabad and its consulates in Quetta and Karachi also issue visas without fee.
Nadeem Daud, hailing from Jhang district, has applied for visit visa at Afghan Consulate in Peshawar. Instead of looking for job in Pakistan or Gulf countries, Daud, a carpenter by profession, used to get visit visa and proceed to Kabul for job. High wages and employment opportunities in Afghanistan are attracting skilled workers.
“For me Kabul is better then Dubai because you can get free visit visa within three days. Employer provides free stay and food. Minimum wage of a carpenter is Rs40,000 per month,” he added. He said that maximum monthly wage in Afghanistan was up to Rs80,000.
Pakistani workers go to Afghanistan for employment on visit visa, because Afghan embassy and consulates does not issue work permit to job seekers. They look for employers in different sectors mostly construction. After finding suitable job, Afghans and foreign employers get work permits for them from Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Afghanistan.
Haji Meraj, First Secretary at the Afghan Consulate, said that over 200 Pakistanis were issued visit visas daily in Peshawar and the number of applicants was increasing with the advent of spring. He said that visa process was completed within two to three days and rejection rate was zero.
“Here Afghan consulate does not reject visa if the applicant has valid passport,” he said. From January 22 to February 22 some 3,000 applicants were issued visas in Peshawar, according to the official statement.
Pakistani students from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) were also issued study visas. Pakistani nationals were given admissions in universities in Kabul and Jalalabad, he said.
Afghanistan has become major market for Pakistani traders and products. Pakistan`s annual exports to Afghanistan have exceeded $1.5 billon figures while millions of dollars irregular trade is also taking place between the two countries.
Roughly over 100,000 Pakistani professionals and skilled workers including IT experts, bankers, doctors, engineers, masons, carpenters, tailors and embroiders have been engaged in rebuilding of the war-ravaged country.
Two brothers from Punjab, Hafiz Ashiq Hussain and Sadiq Hussain, were also on way to Kabul. They hoped to a get job at a flour mill in Kabul. Sadiq Hussain said that he had been in Kabul for the last three years.
A group of young embroiders from Peshawar has also applied for visa. Amir Rehman, who was leading the group, said that they went to Kabul in summer and returned to Peshawar in winter. He said that winter was very harsh in Kabul and they moved back to Peshawar.
Global recession has minimised employment opportunities for Pakistani labourers abroad including Middle East. But Afghanistan has become blessing in disguise for Pakistani workers and despite heavy presence demand is increasing with each passing day. Afghan investors and employers are taking skilled workers to their country.
Abdul Sattar, a resident of Mazar Sharif (Afghanistan), hired a baker in Peshawar. He said that Pakistani labourers were cheaper than Afghans that was why they hired workers from Peshawar and Punjab.
“We treat Pakistanis as our guests, not employees. We provide them free accommodation in hujras and food,” he said.
Former president of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ghulam Sarwar Khan Mohmand said that migration of workers to Afghanistan had created vacuum in the local market which caused shortage while cost of labour had increased. He said that Afghanistan had 70 per cent reliance on Pakistani workers.
Regardless of presence of hundreds of thousands of workers in Afghanistan both countries have yet take official steps for the documentation and regularisation of these people. Officials said that Pakistan government had yet to frame policies for workers in Afghanistan.
Pakistanis go to Afghanistan on visit visa for seeking jobs. They do not register themselves with Bureau of Immigrants and Protectorate which looks after affairs of oversees Pakistanis.
An official said that Pakistani workers in Afghanistan could not claim employment benefits from their employers. He said that risk factor was also involved in Afghanistan particularly in the Pakhtun populated areas where armed insurgency was still going on.
Afghanistan a new destination for skilled labour | Provinces | DAWN.COM
