JEDDAH – Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development met with Saudi officials in Riyadh Monday in a bid to help resolve problems faced by the Pakistani workers. The Minister, Pir Syed Sadaruddin Shah Rashidi, had arrived in Kingdom earlier in the day accompanied by Managing Director of Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) Habib-ur-Rehman Gillani. The minister visited a few camps in the capital city to listen to the workers' problems first hand. He was accompanied by Pakistan's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Manzoor ul Haq. He is also scheduled to visit Jeddah and Taif. Sadaruddin assured the stranded workers that their problems will be resolved in cooperation with the Saudi authorities and urged them to abide by the laws of the land. He also said that the expired passports of the stranded workers will be renewed by the embassy and the consulate free of cost. According to Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a total of 10,395 affected workers are residing in 20 camps in Riyadh, Jeddah, Taif and other places. The workers are facing issues regarding their pending salaries, end of service benefits, renewal of iqamas (resident identities), transfer of work permits and food.
