ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development has sent as many as 55,000 skilled and semi-skilled workforce to Qatar for prospective job opportunities in construction and other sectors since 2015.

Qatar had announced to hire 100,000 Pakistan’s workforce in 2015 and the target could not be accomplished due to inefficiency and poor lobbying on part of Pakistan’s previous government abroad, the official sources told APP.

They said around 10,000 Pakistanis preceded to Qatar for various job opportunities in 2016 and 2017.

However, the sources said, as many as 20,000 manpower was sent to Qatar during the last year. "This figure saw hundred per cent surge due to the sincere efforts of Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis on foreign front,” they added.

They said around 8,800 Pakistanis went Qatar during the first five months of this year.

Now, the ministry was in contact with the authorities concerned in Qatar to fulfill the quota by this year end.

Last month, Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari had informed APP that his ministry was eying to double Qatar’s 100,000 quota for Pakistani workers.

Highlighting the government efforts on diplomatic front, he said Qatar has established three visa facilitation centres at Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, respectively to ensure swift processing of intending emigrants’ visas.

Bukhari said special facilitation Centers were set up for the aspirants, who see Qatar as a prospective foreign job destination, to augment Pakistani manpower abroad, in addition to protect their rights abroad. He said those centers were aimed at protecting the rights of the workforce, who faced different problems at the hands of employers.

Zulfikar Bukhari said increased job opportunities in Qatar for Pakistani manpower would pave the way for making the national economy stronger and vibrant.

Bukhari said Qatar intended to further strengthen its ties with Pakistan, which was evident from the fact that it had selected Pakistan from eight countries for setting up ‘Qatar Visa Center’ to facilitate the aspirant manpower.