Though predictions of the revolution in the Arab world spreading to Pakistan are way off the mark, the uprisings do affect us in ways other than rekindling a faith in peoples power. There are a large number of expatriate Pakistanis in the oil-rich countries of the region who, like the rest of the economic migrant community, are at risk.
Many states are devising strategies to evacuate their citizens from these countries. Though at the moment, the focus of such activities is Libya, where a whopping 1.5 million foreigners are living. But such efforts will pick up a feverish pace, specially for the governments of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, if and when the wave finds its way to the Arabian peninsula as well. The response to a challenge like that would be an exercise not just in administrative public policy but also in diplomacy. As the example in Jordan shows, the rioters may harbour reservations against the foreigners, in their case, the Palestinians. This is despite having no language barrier between them. Though in countries like the plush Arabian Emirates, the affluent locals really have very little to complain about when it comes to the relatively impoverished, quarantined sub-continentals, revolutions can have minds of their own; there really arent many constants here.
In addition to the responsibility of the state when it comes to defending its own wherever they are, the economic contribution the expatriate community has made, specially in terms of foreign exchange, is considerable. Remittances are a factor seriously taken into account by both government and business whenever the local money markets are modeled. These overseas Pakistanis should not be left high and dry at a time like this. It is hoped the government had already started war-gaming on the issue at the very first signs that the Jasmine revolution would not be limited to Tunisia alone.
