Islamabad, Pakistan – In the cavernous hall of the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif hailed the country’s diaspora as the “pride of the nation,” lauding them for their “unmatched contribution” to the country they have left.And it wasn’t just talk. Speaking to an audience of more than 1,000 expatriates who had gathered to participate in the Overseas Pakistanis Convention on April 15, Sharif also promised a range of benefits that he said his government would launch to help them.
These include special courts for overseas Pakistanis so their legal disputes are resolved faster than they would be in the country’s notoriously slow judicial system. Quotas in educational institutions, faster immigration procedures at airports and tax benefits are also pledged. Sharif also said the government would award 15 eminent Pakistani expatriates every year.
“I believe there is no doubt that the 10 million Pakistanis who live across the world have earned their good reputation with their hard work and promoted Pakistan’s name,” Sharif said in his speech. Advertisement
But many experts believe that the government’s bouquet of assurances to the diaspora is more than just an innocent outreach effort: it’s also a political move in a battle for the support of overseas Pakistanis with former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is wide …
