Twelve foreign recruiting firms blacklisted in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE) has barred twelve foreign recruiting firms from hiring Pakistani workforce due to non-compliance of employment code, resulting into grave problems for the emigrants.

The Bureau, working under the auspices of Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, blacklisted 12 foreign recruiting companies during current year for not ensuring the promised jobs, timely and agreed salaries, besides issuance of fake visas, a top official from BEOE told APP  on Tuesday.

The official said six recruitment agencies from Azerbaijan and three from Iraq and Oman each had been barred from recruiting Pakistani manpower after thorough examination of complaints received from the affectees and the country’s Community Welfare Attaches.

The blacklisted firms included Shah International F/S LLC, Nazar Motors LLC, Lardak LLC, Ay Si Vi LLC, Arkuita LLC, Citizen Munawwar Latifi, Shirka Ardh Al-Muheet, Shirka Amwaj Ul-Bahar, Shirka Seeufue Ul-Badar, Catalyst Contract Trading Company Fourth Union Reconstruction LLC and Dar Ul Riyan International LLC.

He said two complaints regarding such employers were also received recently that were being examined for further action after ascertaining the actual position of the cases.

The official said the bureau had also cancelled operational licenses of three Overseas Employment Promoters (OEPs) and suspended 19 others during the same period for various reasons.

Some 99 percent of licenses of those OEPs were suspended for not responding to the complaints, lodged against them by the victims while three were cancelled on non-payment of the labourers’ dues.

According to the list shared by the Bureau, three Pakistan-based agencies including Ulfta Enterprises, Faith International operating in Rawalpindi and Al Wasio International, Lahore were not allowed to run their businesses in the country.

Similarly, the registration of various OEPs including Ch Manpower Services, Bab-e-Khyber, Asmacs Agency and others has been suspended at the moment.

He said a crackdown was initiated against the fraudulent elements that lured the intending emigrants for lucrative job opportunities abroad on the instruction of Special Assistant to Prime Minister Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari.

The BEOE, in collaboration with Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, had blocked three websites, targeting the unemployed youth online through enticing job advertisements and fake employment packages, he added.