Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday rubbishing the mindset doubting the patriotism of dual nationals, said Pakistan should better create conducive conditions for the expatriates to tap that valuable asset.

“I can’t understand why the people label the dual nationals as traitors. They just went abroad as we could not give them jobs. Now as they have qualified (in their fields) abroad, we don’t have matching jobs for them here…They are an asset for us. We will just have to facilitate them,” the prime minster said while addressing the launching ceremony of Roshan Pakistan Digital Account.

The Roshan Digital Account, an initiative of State Bank of Pakistan, provides innovative banking solution to millions of non-resident Pakistanis enabling them open bank account in Pakistani banks remotely through digital and online process. The facility will help the expatriates pay utility bills, send remittances, and invest their amount in various existing and upcoming schemes.

Information Minister Senator Shibli Faraz, Finance Advisor Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Commerce Advisor Abdul Razzak Dawood, Special Assistant Dr Shahbaz Gill and State Bank Governor Raza Baqir attended the ceremony, besides top leadership of collaborating banks.

The prime minister said the overseas Pakistanis are the best minds, professionally competent and successful businessmen but calling them as ineligible for any public office was unjustified. Even, he said, the people immediately moved to court to challenge their appointments. He quoted the example of Dubai where the hospitals, airlines and even police services were led by foreigners. But realizing their potential and competence, Shaukat Khanum engaged the expatriates who run the specialized health facility successfully, he added.

He viewed that the expatriates were even more patriot than those in Pakistan because while facing the Islamophobia and other issues abroad, they realized the real worth of freedom back at their homeland.

The prime minister congratulated the State Bank and Finance Ministry for launching the initiative and said the success of Indian and Chinese economies started with the investments by their expatriate communities.

The digital bank account facility was the first major initiative to open up opportunities for the expatriates to invest their capital in ML-1, Diamer Bhasha, housing projects and above all the newly planned cities of Ravi Front Urban Development Project in Lahore and Bundal Island in Sindh.

While recounting the challenges inherited by the government, the prime minister said half of the collected revenue went to pay off the debt which necessitated the wealth creation to increase revenue collection. He said the construction package announced by the government would create the economic activity. He said the exports were on surge to fill up the $40 billion trade deficit and Roshan Pakistan Account would attract the investment from abroad to help appreciate the rupee value.

Finance Advisor Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said the facility would make the expatriates to contribute to the national development. He said the government had drastically brought down the expenditures, and remarkably reduced taxes and duties on raw materials, besides announcing the relief package worth Rs 650 billion to support the businesses impacted by the COVID-19. He said under the construction package, around 90 percent taxes had been waived off to support the low-income group, which was giving dividends in the form of improving economic indicators.