Our true ambassadors

Overseas Pakistanis are a part of Pakistan’s future. While our predecessors have rhetorically talked about the significance of overseas Pakistanis, no concrete measures were taken in this regard.

As a result, the true potential of overseas Pakistanis in facilitating the processes of development in Pakistan has not been fully tapped. The current PTI government under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan is cognizant of this fact and wants to redress it by developing a robust partnership with overseas Pakistanis for the development of Pakistan.

The significance of overseas Pakistanis cannot be overstated in terms of their contributions towards Pakistan’s economy. Due to corruption and epic failures in the realm of economic policies and governance by previous governments, Pakistan’s economy witnessed record high current account and budget deficits. Exports witnessed a sharp decline under the PML-N government. This has put a severe pressure on our balance of payments. Time and again, overseas Pakistanis have rescued Pakistan’s economy by pumping in necessary foreign exchange reserves through remittances. In other words, remittances are necessary to Pakistan’s economic stability.

This is why, as soon as Prime Minister Imran Khan assumed office, he gave directions to all concerned departments to facilitate overseas Pakistanis and address their problems. The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development set up a first of its kind complaint cell, ‘Call Sarzameen’, for overseas Pakistanis to efficiently redress their concerns. The response has been great so far; the ministry has successfully processed 80 percent of the complaints it has received.

Similarly, in collaboration with the State Bank of Pakistan, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Overseas and Human Resource Development, the government has launched a programme called the Pakistan Remittance Initiative (PRI). The idea behind the PRI is to facilitate and incentivise overseas Pakistanis to use official channels for remittances. This has been well received by overseas Pakistanis and I am glad to report that due to the concerted efforts of the PTI government, remittances from the US and the UK have witnessed increases of 33 percent and 23 percent, respectively.

Overall, there has been an increase of 12.2 percent in remittances since PM Khan assumed office. This is a remarkable achievement, especially given the fact that the global economy is experiencing a slowdown. The tremendous growth in remittances is a vote of confidence from the overseas Pakistanis that they are upbeat and optimistic that Pakistan is undergoing a positive turnaround under the leadership of PM Khan.

PM Khan launched the Pakistan Banao Certificate (PBC), a diaspora bond for overseas Pakistanis. This is not only going to generate much-needed foreign exchange reserves to ease the balance of payments crisis, but it is also going to make overseas Pakistanis active stakeholders and partners in Pakistan’s economy. An official online portal has been launched to facilitate overseas Pakistanis to invest in the PBC. The return on the PBC is up to 6.75 percent per year; this is a lucrative rate, especially given the fact that purchasing these bonds is tantamount to investing in a better future for Pakistan.

Pakistan has a youth bulge, which is our strength. Our young people are full of innovative ideas. In order to fully tap the potential of our youth, PM Khan believes that Pakistan needs to become an economic powerhouse and a knowledge-economy hub in South Asia. Overseas Pakistanis have a big role to play in making Pakistan a dynamic knowledge-economy. There are highly qualified Pakistani scientists, engineers, IT experts, academics, and entrepreneurs around the world. I request these expats to consider giving back to their homeland. The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHDR) will do its best to facilitate expats to build a strong foundation of a 21st century knowledge-economy in Pakistan.

Overseas Pakistanis are the true ambassadors of Pakistan; they can help in projecting a positive and pluralistic image of Pakistan around the world. Previous governments did not pay attention on projecting a true image of the country; as a result, our adversaries have exploited this and have painted a negative image of Pakistan in the global community. The people of Pakistan wish for peaceful, democratic and prosperous lives like all civilised nations of the world. Ours is a pluralistic country where people from different faiths, ethnicities and background live in harmony and peace. Overseas Pakistanis reflect these values of Pakistan around the world.

Our cultural heritage is rich and diverse, and we need to actively promote this around the world. The role of overseas Pakistanis is going to be central in this because they have access to places where our embassies or foreign delegations cannot reach. Thus, I encourage overseas Pakistanis – especially in the Western world – to actively engage with their non-Pakistani friends and colleagues and educate them about the pluralistic and diverse cultural heritage of Pakistan; the PTI government is going to provide them full facilitation in this.

PM Khan envisions Pakistan as the hub of tourism in the South Asia, a country that offers natural, cultural, historical and religious tourism. Pakistan has one of the world’s most gifted topography with gorgeous scenery. Most importantly, Pakistan is a very safe country with low crime rates. Not to mention, in comparison to other tourist destinations, Pakistan is much more affordable.

This is the time to explore Pakistan. To facilitate tourism, the PTI government has launched an e-visa policy for over 150 countries and the people of Pakistan are ready to welcome tourists from across the world. I encourage overseas Pakistanis to tell their non-Pakistani friends and colleagues to consider Pakistan as a potential tourist destination. In fact, invite them to come alongside you during your next holiday/visit to Pakistan.

The PTI government inherited a crumbling economy, but due to the untiring efforts of PM Khan, it is stable now. Furthermore, PM Khan has reenergised Pakistan’s geo-strategic and economic stature in the region. Pakistan is rapidly undergoing a positive transformation, but change happens with steady, continuous and collective efforts.

That is why the PTI government under the leadership of PM Khan wants to develop a strong and sustainable partnership with overseas Pakistanis to make Pakistan a country where every citizen gets an opportunity to maximise his/her true potential, as envisioned by our founding fathers Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal.

The writer is special assistant to the PM on overseas Pakistanis and human resource development.

Twitter: @sayedzbukhari