OPF, OPAC reconstituted
By Khalid Amin

ISLAMABAD—Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Mr. Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that OPF Board of Governors and Overseas Pakistanis Advisory Committee (OPAC) have been reconstituted by induction of prominent Overseas Pakistanis.
Addressing the OPF Board of Governors meeting held here on Thursday, the Minister said that it was the first time in the history of OPF, when 50% representation to Overseas Pakistanis was given which would determine the right direction of foundation. He said that OPAC would be a forum of 25 Overseas Pakistanis who would contribute for introducing desiring steps for the welfare of Pakistani expatriates. Minister of State for Overseas Pakistanis Division Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj, Secretary Overseas Pakistanis Division Ms. Naheed Haider, Managing Director OPF Syed Nayyer Hasnain Haider and Overseas Members Sir Anwar Pervez, Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry, Masood M. Khan, Tariq Sharif Bhatti, Tayyab Siddiqi, Barrister Hassan Aurangzeb and other senior officials attended the meeting.
Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that OPF Pension Scheme had been reactivated with allocation of Rs.100 million as seed money for Overseas Pakistanis Pension Trust (OPPT). He said this scheme would be made more attractive and introduced aggressively abroad for which a team led by Managing Director OPF is scheduled to leave for Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and UAE on November 02, 2007. He said this scheme would provide social cover to Pakistani expatriates on maturity. He urged the new members to give their input by suggestions for Overseas Pakistanis Pension Scheme. The Minister said that the charter of OPF University Islamabad is yet to be approved by the Cabinet in its forthcoming meeting. He said that OPF had already decided to set up OPF Colleges in each provincial headquarter of Pakistan, while eight OPF Public Schools would be established in different parts of the country to provide quality of education to the children of Pakistan expatriate.
He said that there is much more to be done in education sector. Ghulam Sarwar Khan said that Prime Minister had principally approved Sector D-13 and E-13 for Overseas Pakistanis and hopefully formal approval of these sectors would be got from the cabinet in its forthcoming meeting, for which summary is in process. He further said that OPF has signed MOU with Government of Punjab for setting upIndustrial Estate at Chakri for Overseas Pakistanis. He said that theplots of Industrial Estate would be allotted after completion ofinfrastructure facilities.