Photo has been used for illustrative purposes.

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

Shehryar Khan Afridi, Federal Minister and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Committee, visited the Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday.

He is currently on a visit to the UAE to discuss matters of national interest and welfare of Pakistanis at relevant forums in Dubai.

During his visit to the Consulate, Afridi interacted with officers and staff of the Consulate.

The minister is also planning to meet residents during the visit but details have not been finalised yet.

Consul General of Pakistan Ahmed Amjad Ali briefed the minister on the working of the Consulate and special efforts and initiatives taken from time to time for the welfare of the community and improving consular services for the community. Afridi visited different sections of the Consulate and interacted with visitors and took their feedback regarding services being provided by it.

He appreciated the hard work of officers and staff of the Consulate.

He praised the Consul General of Pakistan, Ahmed Amjad Ali, for keeping his team motivated during the pandemic and leading from the front.

Afridi added that  the Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai played an exemplary role in facilitating Pakistanis to return home by arranging special flights and providing all possible support during the pandemic.

Appreciating the exemplary performance of the Consulate during the pandemic, he expressed hope that it would continue to work with the same zeal in future as well.

Afridi said that the Consulate head helped around 61,000 overseas Pakistanis return to their homes due to the COVID-19 situation while over 17,500 ration bags were also distributed among the affected overseas Pakistanis stranded due to the pandemic.

Afridi said that under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the overseas Pakistanis and the diaspora were an asset for the country and the state of Pakistan would leave no stone unturned in helping the overseas community resolve their issues in the host country.

Last month, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi visited Dubai on a two-day trip, during which he held discussions with the UAE leadership on all areas of mutual interest.  

Qureshi was received by Ahmed Amjad Ali along with senior officials from the Pakistan embassy and UAE foreign ministry, at Dubai International Airport.

The foreign minister discussed various matters of mutual interest, including the promotion of trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and the UAE.