By Waqar Naseem Wamiq
Saudi Gazette
RIYADH — The Pakistani Embassy in Riyadh has made elaborate arrangements to assist nationals who live illegally in the Kingdom but wish to return home taking advantage of the three-month general amnesty announced by the Saudi government.
The embassy has also canceled all leaves for staff members so that it can serve the amnesty seekers to full capacity.
As part of the campaign dubbed “Nation Free of Violators”, Saudi authorities will facilitate the exit of illegal foreign nationals without incurring any penalties or punishment. Haj, Umrah and visit visa overstayers, runaway workers and workers without residency permits or those who have their residency permits expired can benefit from the grace period.
The embassy has established a special help center under its community welfare wing, which can be contacted through email (pwfc.pakistan@gmail.com), telephone (0533783663) and WhatsApp (533783663).
In addition, it will send consular teams to visit different regions to extend help to amnesty seekers.
The embassy will extend the validity of expired passports free of cost for people who want to leave the country during the grace period. It will issue emergency travel pass after due process to people who have lost their original passports.
The embassy has nominated focal persons for guidance and facilitation in far-flung areas. They include Abdul Qadir (0582880700/0555714516), Jubail; Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed (0504938207), Ahsa; Afzal Qamar (0507861234), Hail; Muhammad Ramzan (0595902723) Arar; Amin Chatrali (0507040667) and Mujahid Amin (0554346898), Tabuk; Waqas Khan (0580024588) and Bakhtair Khan (0580024599), Qassim; Raja Imran (0598926099/0505157638) and Rana Saghir Ahmad (0598800113/0509093023), Dammam and Al-Khobar.
On Wednesday, the first day of the amnesty, a number of Pakistanis obtained exit visas in Hail, Dammam and Riyadh, according to embassy sources.
A reasonable number of Pakistani workers turned up at the camp at the embassy for guidance and assistance on Wednesday.
The embassy has called on all Pakistani nationals residing illegally in the Kingdom to take advantage of the grace period and leave the country.
