Punjab Govt launches Parwaaz Card Scheme to Support Youth Seeking Overseas

Lahore: Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) and The Bank of Punjab (BOP) have signed an agreement to operationalize the Chief Minister's Parwaaz Card Scheme for International Placement, facilitating financial access for youth seeking overseas employment opportunities.

The agreement was signed by BOP Chief Digital Officer, Nofel Daud and PSDF CEO, Ahmed Khan. This strategic partnership establishes an outcome-based model to remove the barrier of upfront cost of opportunity in overseas employment for Punjab's skilled youth.

Under the scheme, eligible candidates in sectors including Construction, Retail, Caregiving, Hospitality, and allied sectors will access interest-free loans of up to PKR 1,000,000 to cover pre-departure expenses, enabling a smoother pathway to global employment. The initiative targets 45,000 loan beneficiaries over two years.
"With Parwaaz Card, Punjab is investing for the right of youth to access overseas employment opportunities, and strengthen the economy through foreign remittances," said Adnan Afzal Chattha, Chairperson, CM Punjab Taskforce on Skills Development. “This intervention reflects Pakistan’s significant trained human export potential served as a key driver behind the development of Parwaaz Card,” added Nadir Chattha, Secretary, Skills Development & Employment Department (SD&ED)

PSDF is responsible for applicant onboarding, facilitation, and coordination with Overseas Employment Promoters (OEPs), while BOP will manage KYC verification, loan appraisal, approval, disbursement, and repayment. President BOP, Zafar Masud, indicated coordination with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to explore early access to Roshan Digital Accounts for Parwaaz Card holders.

PSDF CEO, Ahmed Khan, stated: "With Parwaaz Card and our partnership with BOP, we are ensuring that the journey towards international placement is not interrupted by financial barriers." 
BOP Chief Digital Officer, Nofel Daud, added: "With our lending infrastructure, we are creating a model that is not only impactful but sustainable."

Together, this partnership builds the institutional architecture for a sustainable skills export ecosystem, connecting Punjab's skilled talent pipeline directly to global demand, while creating a structured remittance corridor that returns lasting economic value to the province and the country.
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