New Spanish govt to facilitate Pak community in Europe.

Byline: SHAFQAT ALI

The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party - set to form government in Spain - will facilitate the Pakistani settlers in this European country, party leaders said.

The left-leaning party, is expected to govern following a resounding victory in national polls.

Pedro Sanchez and his centre-left PSOE were the clear winners of Spain's general elections over the weekend after garnering 123 seats.

The anti-austerity, left-wing Unidas Podemos party gained 42 seats and has signaled its openness to work with PSOE. However, their combined 165 seats still fall short of the 176 required for an absolute majority in the 350-seat Congress of Deputies in Spain.

The remaining seats needed for a majority could conceivably come from regional nationalist parties in the Basque Country and Catalonia. 'We believe that we have more than enough support to be the rudder of this ship,' Carmen Calvo, the deputy prime minister in the previous government, said.

Governor Barcelona Montserrat Garcia told The Nation that the PSOE supported workers and immigrants' rights. 'The socialist government will work for equal rights of the people and would definitely help the Pakistanis struggling in Spain,' she said.

The Governor said the new government was expected to ease the immigration rules in the future. Garcia said the new government aimed to enhance ties with Pakistan. 'We want close relationship with Pakistan,' she added.

Pakistan-origin PSOE leader Abdul Razzaq Sadiq said the new government will be lenient towards the Pakistani immigrants. We are pro-people,' he remarked.

Sadiq said the Pakistani-origin Pakistanis had voted heavily for the PSOE. 'This is the party that gives them hope. The PSOE also wants close ties with Pakistan,' he said.

Pakistan Consul General in Barcelona Ali Imran Chaudhry said the Pakistanis were contributing towards Spain's prosperity.

He said the consulate was working...