ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has allowed its citizens to seek employment in Uzbekistan as the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment has issued a circular in this regard.
The ban was imposed in December after receiving complaints that Pakistani workers in Uzbekistan were facing delays in receiving their salaries and also enduring unsuitable working conditions.
Authorities said the government has been negotiating with host countries to ensure compliance with agreements and protect workers’ rights, which has led to an improvement in the situation. Now, Pakistani workers are allowed to go to Uzbekistan for jobs.
The Bureau of Emigration said the Pakistani Embassy in Tashkent, Uzbekistan had recommended lifting the employment ban on Pakistanis. As a result, the ban has been removed, and all protectorate offices have been informed to resume the registration process for citizens seeking employment in the Central Asian country.
For overseas employment, it is mandatory for Pakistani citizens to get their work visas protected from the competent authority.
Citizens who have obtained a work visa for Uzbekistan on their own can now complete the scrutiny process and register at immigration counters in protectorate offices to get the protector affixed.
Similarly, registration and protection for individuals wishing to go through overseas employment promoters, based on the approved demand from the Bureau of emigration, have also been resumed. However, a prerequisite for this is that the employer must not have any prior complaints. Employment promoters are also required to provide a satisfactory report from the Uzbek employer, ensuring that the rights of Pakistani workers will be safeguarded.
