LAHORE: The Punjab government has sent the first batch of 135 skilled youths to Saudi Arabia under the Parwaaz Card initiative, aimed at providing safe, legal and dignified overseas employment opportunities.
Addressing a ceremony in Lahore, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said the young people leaving for jobs abroad would not only be workers but also ambassadors of Pakistan.
“When you travel abroad under this programme, you will represent Pakistan. The country that has empowered you deserves to be portrayed positively in front of the world,” she told the participants.
Skilled employment abroad
The first batch includes 105 candidates selected for jobs in the hospitality sector, particularly quick service restaurants, and 30 candidates in the construction sector.
Punjab Task Force on Skill Development Chairman Adnan Afzal Chattha briefed the chief minister that the candidates had secured placements in Saudi Arabia through the programme.
The initiative is being implemented by the Punjab Skills Development Fund under the supervision of the Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Department.
Interest-free support
The Parwaaz Card scheme provides beneficiaries with interest-free pre-departure financing and workplace-readiness training to support overseas employment.
Under the programme, 45,000 deserving individuals are being provided interest-free loans worth Rs6.867 billion.
Individual financing ranges from Rs300,000 to Rs1 million, covering expenses such as visa fees, air tickets, medical examination, protectorate fees and other travel costs.
Maryam Nawaz also distributed Parwaaz cards and interest-free loan cheques among the beneficiaries.
