Who will speak for Pakistan’s workers abroad?

Reports of Pakistani workers being expelled from Bahrain and other Middle Eastern countries because of their sect or religious identity deserve serious attention. This is not a new issue. For years, concerns have quietly circulated among Pakistani expatriates about unexplained visa cancellations, deportations and restrictions on employment.

Yet, despite the seriousness of these concerns, the issue has rarely received meaningful attention from Pakistani governments or Parliament.

The latest discussion by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs is therefore important. Committee Chairperson Hina Rabbani Khar has raised questions that others appear to have avoided for years. She has described the reports as extremely worrying and has called attention to an issue that has remained largely outside the public debate.

Thousands of Pakistanis have been deported from Gulf countries in recent months for various reasons, including visa violations, overstaying and other immigration offences. Official figures do not establish that these deportations were based on sectarian or religious identity.

However, concerns about individual cases cannot simply be ignored.

In recent months, Pakistani workers have also raised concerns about deportations and expulsions from the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries under circumstances that were not always clearly explained publicly. Some individuals have alleged religious or sectarian discrimination, while others claim they were expelled for reasons they were never clearly told.

The government must distinguish between legitimate deportations under immigration laws and any possible discrimination against its citizens because of their religious or sectarian identity.

The government has a responsibility to stand by Pakistani citizens working abroad. Millions of Pakistanis leave their homes and families to earn a living in foreign countries. Their remittances are also a major source of support for Pakistan’s economy.

They deserve to know that their government will speak for them when serious questions arise.

Hina Rabbani Khar deserves credit for bringing this sensitive matter before Parliament. But one important question remains: Why has it taken so long for a senior Pakistani political leader to publicly raise this issue?  f Pakistani workers face discrimination abroad because of their identity, who will speak for them? Pakistani citizens working thousands of miles away deserve representation, protection and, above all, a government willing to raise its voice on their behalf.