The government of Pakistan has greenlit a draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Qatar's Ministry of Labor and Pakistan's Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, paving the way for skilled labor from Pakistan to enter Qatar's market. According to market observers, Pakistan missed an opportunity to export manpower to Qatar when certain overseas employment promoters held a monopoly over sending workers to Doha. During a recent cabinet meeting, the Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Division highlighted that since 1971, over 300,000 Pakistani workers had migrated to Qatar, making substantial contributions to its socio-economic progress. The officials also discussed Qatar's proposal for a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in labor mobility. This draft MoU seeks to facilitate the exchange of expertise in labor relations, inspections, and occupational safety and health. Following consultations with stakeholders and obtaining their input and no-objection certificates, consensus was reached on the draft's contents. In the subsequent meeting, it was discussed that the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis should prioritize sending skilled workers from Pakistan, particularly those with expertise in high technology, information technology, paramedical services, electrical work, plumbing, and other fields, to other countries. The ministry was instructed to involve the community welfare attaches working in Pakistani missions abroad to gather information on job opportunities in foreign countries and the specific skills needed for those positions. The National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) was ordered to offer income-generating skills training as per the job market requirements in both countries. Source: Pro Pakistani