The right to vote for overseas Pakistanis
Should Overseas Pakistanis have the right to vote? One section of people living in Pakistan believe that overseas Pakistanis shouldn't be allowed to vote as their Patriotism has been compromised or that people living overseas have no idea about the ground realities or about the issues concerning the local dispora. But lets have a look as why Overseas Pakistanis deserve the right to have a say on who gets to represent Pakistan in the world.
1. There are around 7.6 million overseas Pakistanis(Ref:1) as of Dec 2013 contributing $16Billion to the Pakistan econony by remittances alone in 2016 (Ref:2) and $18.4Billion in 2015 (Ref:3) which is around 40%-45% of the total revenue of Pakistan.
2. Overseas Pakistans are like brand ambassadors whos interaction create the image of the country better than anyone sitting in Pakistan
3. Most Overseas Pakistanis are educated and have front row seats to see what is working in other countries as compared to what is not working in Pakistan.
4. Overseas Pakistanis are more patriotic than their co-nationals back home, as they go through the heart-break of being away from home and their family & friends.
5. With the rise of electronic and social media, Overseas Pakistanis are equally aware of the local issues being faced by the people.
6. Every political party has offices around the world where they collect fundings for their respective parties.
7. Overseas Pakistanis have always generously donated when ever a need arises due to national calamities.
There are around 115 countries that give their expats the right to vote including US, UK, France and Australia. So why shouldn't overseas Pakistanis have the same right.
References
1:
http://ophrd.gov.pk/frmDetails.aspx?id=1&opt=publications
2.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1100856/overseas-pakistanis-send-16-billion-in-remittances-up-5-25/
3.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/920286/pakistan-pockets-remittances-amounting-to-18-4b/
Poll
If you agree with what i have stated above choose "Yes". if you have selected "NO" please share your reasons.