JEDDAH, 19 July 2003 — The Pakistan Repatriation Council (PRC) held a symposium titled “Repatriation and Rehabilitation of Stranded Pakistanis on a Self-Finance Basis”.
Veteran journalist S.G.M. Badruddin, the former editor in chief of Morning News, Dhaka, Masawat, and Dawn, presided over the function.
The guest of honor was Mahfuz Yar Khan, president of the International Council for the Repatriation of stranded Pakistanis (ICRP) and provincial leader of Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam group).
Hamid Islam Khan at the symposium said the PRC proposal was based on issuing passports, in the first instance, to the male earning members of the 37,000 stranded families, to enable them to arrange accommodation and travel for their families following employment in Pakistan or the Middle East.
Mahfuz Yar Khan said the Rabita Trust should be activated and also include Bangladesh as an active member.
He accepted a PRC recommendation to organize a joint seminar on the proposal in Lahore on Aug. 14.
PRC Convenor Ehsanul Haq urged President Musharraf to reactivate the Rabita Trust whose freezing in October 2001 not only stopped the process of repatriation but also affected the 63 Pakistani families who were repatriated in 1993.
Badruddin said the PRC proposal could pave the way to a resolution of the long outstanding issue.
