Launching of MODI in USA

The united Indian expatriate community, with no voting rights nor eligibility to hold any public office in India, got together to welcome PM Narendra Modi, who till a year back could not get visa for USA. Under Indian constitution, Indian nationals cannot hold dual nationality and therefore over years, powerful Indian-origin foreign nationals have learnt not to get involved in local domestic politics of their former motherland and instead use their energy, resources and clout to promote national interests of India, welcoming every elected PM on his visit.

While PM Modi was set to meet 30 of most powerful CEOs of USA multinationals, seeking their investments in his country, having successfully negotiated similar massive investments from China and Japan, the politically divided Pakistani expatriate community was busy holding dharnas and protests to embarrass our elected PM. I have no love lost for PM Nawaz Sharif, who has disappointed millions with his poor governance and his choice of cronies to head already dysfunctional state owned enterprises, besides his obstinacy not to tax rich, further widening tax to GDP ratio and instead relying on indirect taxation, as was practised by Pervez Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz and Asif Zardari, the poor masses have been driven to desperation by rising inflation.

It is time Pakistani state realises that its national interests are not served by allowing dual nationals to get involved in domestic political brawls, or allowing them to decide who gets elected in a country where they have no stakes. Donations by Pakistani-origin dual nationals have blinded our political elite and politicised establishment to hazards posed by allowing Pakistani political parties to establish political offices in foreign nations from where they control fate and destiny of over 190 million Pakistan, for whom this is their sole motherland. As it is, the peace of Karachi is hostage to decisions made in London and now it seems a Canadian national will do the same in Central Punjab. We are fighting the curse of terrorism, nursed and nurtured by former military juntas in order to please foreign powers and obtain legitimacy. As for PTI, PPP and PML-N, they must understand that paid uniformed establishment has no political role under constitution.

ALI MALIK

Lahore