Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis fails to pay Rs9b compensation for deceased workers’ families

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development has failed to disburse Rs9 billion in compensation to the families of 245 Pakistani workers who died abroad.

The compensation, paid by employer companies to the government of Pakistan, was intended for the families of those who lost their lives while working in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries between 1991 and 2022.

According to a report in Urdu News, among the 160 Pakistani workers who died in Saudi Arabia, 40 cases worth 12.24 million riyals from Jeddah and 120 cases worth 2.36 million riyals from Riyadh are pending with the Ministry of Overseas Pakistani.

Similarly, out of the 185 Pakistanis who died in the UAE, 135 cases of 666,000 dirhams from Abu Dhabi and 50 cases of 153,000 dirhams from Dubai are awaiting distribution.

Additionally, 30 cases of Diyat amount, totaling 13 lakh 25 thousand riyals, were sent from Saudi Arabia, but the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis has failed to pay the compensation for 24 years. This amounts to 146 million riyals and 820,000 dirhams, translating to over Rs9 billion, which have not been distributed among the affected families for the last 24 years.

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In a report, officials of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis in Pakistani embassies in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have been blamed for the delay in the distribution of the compensation amount.

According to the report, despite repeated inquiries, the relevant authorities have failed to respond to the matter.

Officials of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis acknowledge receiving death claims and asserted that the cases mentioned in the report were already in their notice. They claimed to identify those responsible for the lack of progress and assured that the compensation amount will soon be paid to the affected families.

The ministry emphasized a web-based portal has been established to address the backlog of people laid off from overseas jobs, with millions of rupees being disbursed monthly from employer companies to workers.

As the families of the deceased workers await justice, this revelation raises serious concerns about the ministry’s efficiency and accountability in handling compensation for those who sacrificed their lives while contributing to the nation’s economy.