In the latest news in Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is making a strategic move to woo overseas Pakistanis as part of an attempt to dissipate the hold of former Prime Minister Imran Khan on the diaspora. This development was underscored at the Overseas Pakistanis Convention at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad on April 15, where Sharif addressed more than 1,000 expatriates and offered a vision that places the diaspora at the center of Pakistan's growth.
A Defining Speech to the Country Abroad
Citing overseas Pakistanis as the "pride of the nation," Sharif praised them, stating, "The 10 million Pakistanis living everywhere in the world have earned their good name with their hard work and have increased the name of Pakistan." Beyond words of praise, Sharif made a few incentives to lure expatriates, including:
- Special courts for expeditious disposal of legal cases related to overseas citizens.
- Educational quotas for Pakistani universities.
- Rapid processing of immigration at the airports.
- Tax relief incentives to encourage investment.
- A annual award to honor 15 outstanding overseas Pakistanis.
All these promises are made when the contest for the political loyalty of the diaspora is heating up.
Political Strategy Behind the Outreach
Political analysts view this gesture as something beyond a gesture of appreciation. It's viewed as a calculated attempt to break Imran Khan's grip on the foreign vote bank. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has long enjoyed the support of expatriates, especially in big countries like the United Kingdom and the United States, where around 1.6 million and 700,000 Pakistan-origin citizens live, respectively.
This international support has given Khan immense influence within Western capitals, influencing the foreign perception of Pakistan's internal politics. A number of foreign PTI enthusiasts hold influential positions, making political utterance very potent.
Government's Countermove to Khan's Diaspora Power
According to the previous Pakistani ambassador to the United States, Maleeha Lodhi, the event was double-purposed: "The overseas Pakistani convention seemed to have two principal aims — to erase the appeal and popularity of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan among the diaspora, and to challenge the diaspora community to invest in Pakistan."
This strategy points to a wider strategy by the Shehbaz Sharif government to regain narrative influence on the international stage by connecting with a population that has long gravitated towards Khan's political messaging and leadership style.
What This Means for Pakistan's Political Landscape
This new phase of the diaspora war may redefine political calculations both inside and outside the country. As the government bends over backwards to strengthen ties with Pakistanis abroad, handing out incentives and rewards, the stakes in the game of global legitimacy and approval are rising.
In contrast, the latest news on Pakistan highlights a burgeoning rivalry not merely within Pakistani shores but even across continents — a reflection of how significant the diaspora has grown to be in political dynamics of the nation.