Families of Pakistanis stranded in KSA get checks

ISLAMABAD – Families of stranded Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia on Sunday have received checks from the government as financial assistance, media reports said. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif approved Rs50,000 for the family of each worker who has not been paid his salary by his employer in Saudi Arabia for many months. Prime Minister’s Secretariat staff and overseas Pakistanis and Human Resources Development ministries distributed the checks. The affected people thanked the government for its assistance and requested to prepare strategy for their repatriation. Saudi authorities have also directed the companies to pay the salaries of their employees so that they can fly back home. Pakistanis along with other Asian workers are living in labor camps without salaries. Many of them do not have valid iqamas (residence permits) because their employers did not renew these. Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria was quoted as saying by Business Recorded that the government has taken all measures and is constantly in contact with the Saudi authorities, the companies and the Pakistani employees. He said that Saudi government has extended cooperation and the matter has been addressed to a great extent.