Overseas Pakistanis should have right to vote: Nawaz

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PML-N President Nawaz Sharif has said overseas Pakistanis should have the right to vote as they are an asset of the nation and are rendering invaluable services to the country while staying away from their homes and near and dear ones. Addressing a convention of the PML-N on Monday, Nawaz said contributions by Pakistani expatriates to the national economy were highly commendable and were acknowledged by the entire nation. “Overseas Pakistanis have made all kinds of sacrifices for their country in the hour of need,” he said. Nawaz said the government had made no serious effort for the resolution of serious problems such as price hike, poverty and load shedding. He said there was no load shedding or price hike in his era and terrorism was unheard of, adding that when Pakistan’s defence capability was challenged, his government, despite immense foreign pressure, tested nuclear devices and made the national defence impregnable. Nawaz said Pakistanis should not lose heart even though the situation was critical. He said elections were near and the PML-N had a complete and a comprehensive programme for development and progress and its implementation would result in elimination of price hike, unemployment and load shedding. He said people should exercise their right to vote judiciously and should not vote for such elements that have brought the country to such a pathetic state.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Nawaz Sharif is the one who introduced the jagga tax on Overseas Pakistanis and later rulers finding his move very fine and useful with more vigor used that technique. In 1997 he held an Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad. He loudly addressed there that Overseas Pakistanis whether holding Pakistani passport or of any country they all are "our brothers, our family", Pakistanis their own home and they can any time come to their home". After having declaring them brothers and family members immediately he introduced the first jagga tax in the name of separate ID Card for Overseas Pakistanis. The foolish argument was that authorities abroad can not read Urdu language Pakistani Card hence needed an English language. The fact is in a foreign country no one every demand from you your Pakistani Card (except in Pakistan Embassies) and a Passport is the universal document. In 30 years no bank, no municipality, no LDA, no mobile company in Pakistan has ever asked me to show them my "foreign ID Card". This move was merely to take money from the pockets of overseas Pakistanis. Since this proved very attractive hence since then this technique every government is using in different forms. This is the same novel idea of Nawaz Sharif which today in the new form viz 100 to 400% increase in telephone calls to Pakistan has been levied effective 1 October 2012. Nawaz Sharif has no interest with Overseas Pakistanis. In fact no political party has but only to the extent that some holding dual nationality could sit in parliament.

  2. On the one side all this praise for overseas Pakistanis and on the other hand he supports ban on their becoming members of Parliament. If overseas Pakistanis with dual nationality are going to have right to vote, they might as well have the right to sit in Parliament. Perhaps, the maximum one can suggest is a ban on their being Head of State or Head of Government.

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