Overseas Pakistanis may face mandatory OPF membership with Rs10,000 fee

The Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) has submitted a proposal to the Pakistan government to make the membership compulsory with the body, with a fee of Rs10,000 (around Dh130).

“I believe all overseas Pakistanis should compulsorily be members of the OPF. If they all become members of the Foundation, then we can serve them better because we will have finances,” Syed Qamar Raza, chairman of OPF, told Khaleej Times in an interview.

“We have got the proposal approved from the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development. It is to be approved by the prime minister. The fee is Rs10,000 for 5 years, which is quite nominal,” he said.

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Raza pointed out that the foundation, a non-profit organisation created to address challenges faced by Pakistanis living abroad, is looking to introduce a host of facilities for the South Asian country’s diaspora.

This will apply to all 12 million-plus overseas Pakistanis living in the UAE, Gulf countries, the Middle East and other regions around the world.

Overseas Pakistanis play a critical role in the country’s economy through billions of dollars in investments and remittances.

Following a record $38.3 billion in remittances in 2024–25, it is expected that inflows will surpass and reach a new all-time high of $41–42 billion.

State Bank of Pakistan data revealed that workers’ remittances grew at a double-digit rate between July 2025 and February 2026, increasing by 10.5 per cent to $26.5 billion compared with $24 billion received during the same period last year.

In February 2026, Pakistan received $3.3 billion in remittances, an increase of 5.2 per cent year-on-year, led by the UAE ($696.2 million), Saudi Arabia ($685.5 million), the UK ($532 million), and the US ($319.5 million).

Within the UAE, more than two million Pakistanis live and work across different walks of life.

Syed Qamar Raza is currently visiting many countries around the world to assess the challenges faced by the South Asian country’s diaspora.

He recently visited Germany, South Korea and Japan, where he met senior officials and community members.

During his ongoing UAE visit, he met many community members and businessmen, including Mian Munir Hans, Iqbal Dawood, Syed Salem Akhter, and consulate officials on Monday, where he was apprised of the issues the community is currently facing.