Pakistan National Assembly Addresses Consular Issues For Overseas Citizens

On February 25, 2026, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis highlighted significant consular deficiencies in Pakistani missions across Europe, particularly in Italy, Spain, and Greece. The committee, chaired by Syed Rafiullah, emphasized the urgent need for improvements in welfare facilitation and verification systems, noting that issues such as passport loss and verification delays have persisted. For instance, the Italian mission reported a large Pakistani community and a recent bilateral memorandum of understanding that allocated 3,500 labor slots, yet challenges remain with pending work visas and ongoing complaints about passport losses. The committee also pointed out that in Spain, efforts are underway to regularize documentation for approximately 20,000 out of 140,000 Pakistani residents, but procedural obstacles like delays in apostille certification are hindering progress. As stated in the Tribune Latest, "the committee members highlighted procedural obstacles, especially delays in apostille certification, difficulties in obtaining the National Police Bureau (NPB) verification and recurrent passport losses."