Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission vice-chairman claims 63% complaints resolved

LONDON: Overseas Punjab Commission (OPC) Vice-Chairman Syed Tariq Mahmood-ul-Hassan has claimed that 63% of complaints filed by expats have been resolved over the last three years, whereas the previous governments only resolved 37%.

Addressing a press conference at the Pakistan High Commission in London, the vice-chairman said that Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar has dismantled the mafia that used to occupy assets of overseas Pakistanis, mainly in Punjab.

Mahmood-ul-Hassan said that the Punjab chief minister has worked hard in the last three years to deal with the mafia that acted with impunity and made a profession out of stealing properties of overseas Pakistanis.

Thousands of backlogged cases have been cleared to the satisfaction of complainants, he said.

Mahmood-ul-Hassan stated that Prime Minister Imran Khan and Buzdar have adopted a "zero tolerance policy" towards the issues faced by overseas Pakistanis.

He said PM Khan has "done more for overseas Pakistanis than any other leader of Pakistan", and the "biggest proof" is that he led the push to give overseas Pakistanis voting rights.

The OPC vice-chairman said he was appointed two months ago to help foreign Pakistanis, reach out to them globally and listen to their concerns.

He said that overseas Pakistanis were "treated as second-class citizens" before PM Imran Khan's time, but he changed the dynamics after coming into power and has given a "VIP status" to overseas Pakistanis.

"Usman Buzdar has done a great deal of work for Punjab and overseas Pakistanis, but he's been criticised because it has become a fashion to criticise him. I am touring the UK on the direction of the Punjab chief minister to apprise the overseas Pakistanis about the efforts of the Punjab government to resolve their issues and to convey a message of goodwill from Usman Buzdar," he said.

He said that soon a convention of overseas Pakistanis from 80 countries will be organised where top achievers will take part and their success will be celebrated.

The OPC vice-chairman said that after three years of PTI rule, the Overseas Pakistani Commission is now working around the clock for all time zones globally.

He remarked that "this government has resolved 63% of all complaints in three years, whereas the previous administration had only settled 37% while working only 9 to 5".

He said the overseas community can register their complaints online and via a telephone service, and a 24/7 helpline has been set up in the OPC office.

Two months ago, Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar appointed Syed Tariq Mahmood-ul-Hassan as the OPC's vice-chairman.

The Overseas Pakistanis Commission is a special institution within the Punjab Services and General Administration Department.

The commission is headed by the Punjab chief minister, who entrusts his powers to the vice-chairman to run the commission through the commissioner and respective committees.