OPF pending housing schemes to be revived, says Khurshid
By Adnan Rafique

Islamabad—Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah said that OPF will set up 08 Public Schools 01 Medical College and 08 Trauma Centers in the country.
Addressing the OPF Board of Governors meeting held here on Tuesday, the Minister said that present government attaches high priorities for the welfare measures of Overseas Pakistanis and their families. He said that the Board of Governors has approved in principle to set up OPF Public Schools at Gawader, Jacobabad, Nawabshah, Sukker, Nowshera, Lahore, Attock and Mirpur (AJK) . He said that medical college at Mdirpur (AJK) will also be established.
Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah said that 08 Trauma Centres at Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Mianwali, Sukker, Dadu, Nowshera, Muzafferabad (AJK) and Gawader would also be set up for which Board of Governors has accorded approval in principle. He said that these Trauma Centres would be helpful to provide medical facilities and medical cover to the affectees of road accidents/ and other emergencies to cover the masses in these areas.
The Minister said that OPF Board of Governors has accorded the approval of regularization of contract employees of OPF and teachers of OPF Public Schools and Colleges having more than two years service as teacher. The Board also approved the salary structure of teaching and nor teaching staff of OPF educational institutions with revised sufficient increase. Special teaching allowance of Rs. 5,000/- would also be granted to teachers he added.
Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah directed the OPF to remove all bottlenecks in implementation of development work in OPF Housing Schemes by the end of June 2008. He said that all possible measures should be adopted to initiate the development work in Housing Schemes. He further said that present government is focusing to minimize the difficulties in Housing Sectors.
The Minister said that OPF would undertake Hajj and Umra scheme to facilitate the Overseas Pakistanis families in Pakistan in term of processing all formalities required to perform Hajj/Umra. He said that the reserved quota for Hajj is being doubled from 500 to 1000 to provide maximum opportunities to the families of Pakistani expatriates.
Syed Wajid Ali Bukhari, former caretaker Federal Minister, Federal Secretary Overseas Pakistanis Division Ms. Naheed Haider, Managing Director OPF Syed Nayyer Hasnain Haider, Senior Joint Secretary Muhammad Ali Afridi, Joint Secretary Mr. Naeem Baig, Deputy Governor State Bank of Pakistan Mr. Yaseen Anwar, Member (Customs) Central Board of Revenue Mr. Mahmood Alam , Member from Overseas Pakistanis, Mr. Tariq Sharif Bhatti, Mr. Masood M. Khan, Mr. Zafar Chaudhry, Mr. Tayyab Siddiqui and others attended the meeting.