Oman has agreed to consider Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s proposal to ease restrictions on the arrival of skilled workers from Punjab, with Omani officials acknowledging the country’s continued demand for skilled labour.
Maryam Nawaz met Oman’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources Saud bin Hamoud bin Ahmed Al Habsi in Muscat, where both sides discussed expanding cooperation in agriculture, fisheries, livestock, aquaculture and other sectors.
The Omani minister said demand for skilled workers in Oman remained high and Pakistani youth possessed exceptional skills and talent.
He assured the chief minister that skilled workers from Punjab would be welcomed in sectors including construction, aquaculture, agriculture and other fields.
He also said Oman would share information with Punjab about demand for skilled workers in different sectors.
According to a handout issued by the Punjab government on Tuesday, Maryam Nawaz proposed measures to lift restrictions on the arrival of skilled workers from Punjab in Oman, and the Omani minister agreed to consider the proposal.
The two sides also agreed to enhance cooperation between Punjab and Oman in agriculture, fisheries and livestock.
The Omani minister offered assistance in establishing Punjab’s first shrimp centre.
Maryam Nawaz said Punjab was ready to export high-quality meat to Oman at competitive international market rates.
She said measures would also be taken to increase livestock exports for milk and meat production.
The chief minister said Punjab had been conducting pilot shrimp-farming projects since last year to promote aquaculture.
She said trial shrimp farming was under way in Shah Garh and Ali Wala areas of Muzaffargarh, as well as in Sargodha.
According to her, Pakistan’s first state-of-the-art aquaculture mall and shrimp diagnostic laboratory will be established at Shah Garh.
She said modern machinery and techniques were being used for aquaculture farming in Punjab, drawing on models from China, Norway, Vietnam, Indonesia and other countries.
The provincial government is planning shrimp farming across 30,000 acres in Punjab, including Bahawalpur, she added.
Maryam Nawaz said she would also request Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to facilitate the export of live livestock from Punjab to Oman.
On skills development, she said thousands of young people in Punjab had already received training under programmes designed according to domestic and international market requirements.
She said Pakistan’s youth were a valuable asset and were being equipped with modern skills through training programmes.
She added that millions of young people in Punjab were being trained in different sectors to meet the needs of local and international job markets.
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