- Saudi Arabia told Pakistani officials that the majority of the pickpockets arrested from within Makkah’s grand mosque are Pakistani nationals.
- Most of the Pakistanis travelling abroad, are purposely involved in begging, Pakistan English website reports.
- Ambassadors of Iraq and Saudi Arabia complain that their prison facilities have been overrun due to Pakistani beggars that enter the country via unauthorized channels.
- 90% of Pakistanis involved in pickpocketing in Saudi
- Even Nepal has more skilled people than Pakistan
- Over 1 million Indians get American visas in 2023
In yet another embarrassment for cash-strapped Pakistan, Saudi Arabia has raised concerns with Islamabad as a majority of people who travel to the Kingdom are involved in either begging or pickpocketing.
In fact, this was also attested by Secretary Overseas Pakistanis Zeeshan Khanzada, who during a meeting of the Senate’s standing committee for Overseas Pakistanis, asserted that most of the Pakistanis travelling abroad, are purposely involved in begging, Pakistan English website, The News International reported.
In a shocking claim, Rana Mahmood Hassan Kakar in the chair told the forum that almost 90 per cent of Pakistani citizens travel to the Middle East country under the guise of “pilgrimage”. Also, he said that Saudi Arabia told the Pakistani officials that the majority of the pickpockets arrested from within Makkah’s grand mosque are Pakistani nationals.
“Ambassadors of Iraq and Saudi Arabia complain to us that their prison facilities have been overrun due to Pakistani beggars that enter the country via unauthorized channels. This issue now befalls within the category of human trafficking,” the media outlet quoted Khanzada as saying.
Further, Chairman Kakar, in a shocking claim, said that only 200 Pakistanis travelled to Japan after the island country had floated a requirement of 3,40,000 skilled people. On the other hand, over 1,50,000 Indians and 91,000 people from Nepal went to Japan, the committee chairman said.
It is worth mentioning the report came on the same day when the US Mission to India processed a record number of non-immigrant visa applications until September 28, Thursday– almost 20% more applications than in pre-pandemic 2019. According to the statement released by the US Embassy and Consulate in India, it has already processed one million visas for Indians. US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has handed over the one-millionth passport to a couple in New Delhi and expressed gratitude for choosing America.
(With inputs from agencies)
