The Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF), under the Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Department (SD&ED), Government of Punjab, has launched a series of engagement sessions with licensed Overseas Employment Promoters (OEPs) in Lahore, Multan and Islamabad to strengthen international employment opportunities under the Chief Minister’s Parwaaz Card Scheme – Maryam Nawaz Hunarmand Naujawan. The initiative aims to enhance collaboration with licensed OEPs to facilitate safe, legal and dignified overseas employment for Punjab’s skilled workforce while strengthening coordination among all stakeholders involved in the programme. The sessions were attended by Chairperson of the Chief Minister’s Taskforce for Skill Development Adnan Afzal Chattha as the chief guest. PSDF Chief Executive Officer Ahmed Khan, Head of Programme Design Azka Munir, senior officials of the Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Department (SD&ED), the Bank of Punjab (BoP), and more than 75 licensed OEPs from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Abbottabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Mardan, Quetta, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Lahore, Bahawalnagar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, Multan, Toba Tek Singh, Vehari, Okara and Rahim Yar Khan also participated. PSDF briefed participants on the Parwaaz Card Scheme, including eligibility criteria, application procedures, verification mechanisms, financing arrangements and the roles of all stakeholders. Discussions also focused on streamlining operational processes and improving coordination between PSDF, SD&ED, the Bank of Punjab and licensed OEPs. Speaking on the occasion, Adnan Afzal Chattha said the Punjab government was prepared to tap into international markets with growing demand for skilled workers, particularly in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Malaysia and other destinations. “Skills development remains one of our highest priorities, and facilitating international employment opportunities is central to that vision. We encourage Overseas Employment Promoters to expand ethical recruitment opportunities for our youth, and the government will continue to facilitate this collaboration,” he said. Under the Parwaaz Card Scheme, PSDF, in collaboration with the Bank of Punjab, plans to provide bacross Punjab to help them meet pre-departure expenses after securing overseas job offers. The initiative is designed to remove financial barriers to migration and enable young people to access safe and legal employment opportunities in priority sectors, including construction, hospitality and healthcare. Azka Munir said PSDF was working to simplify procedures across all partner organisations to make the overseas employment process more transparent and efficient. “Through close collaboration with licensed OEPs, we aim to ensure that international demand for skilled workers is met with a workforce trained to global standards,” she said. Each engagement session concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session led by Adnan Afzal Chattha and PSDF officials, allowing participants to discuss operational challenges, international labour market demand, collaboration opportunities and recommendations for strengthening Punjab’s overseas employment ecosystem. PSDF said the engagement sessions marked an important step towards implementing the Parwaaz Card Scheme during the current fiscal year and would help position Punjab as Pakistan’s leading source of internationally competitive skilled manpower, in line with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s vision for economic transformation.
