KARACHI:
The election of Pakistan-origin Hamza Yousaf as Scotland’s First Minister and Sadiq Khan’s appointment as the Mayor of London should be a source of inspiration for Pakistani expatriates. Many Pakistani-origin expatriates have served in important positions around the world. They have pledged an oath of allegiance to their countries of permanent residence, confined themselves to the politics of these countries and emerged as leaders of significance, enjoying the support of a large majority.
People like Hamza Yousuf and Sadiq Khan have never been involved in the local politics of Pakistan and devoted themselves to the politics of the countries where their ancestors chose to live. They can serve Pakistan by lobbying actively for the state of Pakistan and not a specific political party. Today many Indian-origin expatriates in the UK and US have distinguished themselves and are elected in key positions and many other state legislatures in the US, Canada, etc. The Indian Constitution recognised the blatant conflict of interest and does not allow any Indian-origin citizen, who has pledged an oath of loyalty to another country, to simultaneously be a citizen of India, hold public office, or vote.
Unfortunately, some of our dual national expatriates have engaged in Pakistani politics and perpetuated polarisation among the expatriate community. They are divided along political and ethnic lines. Pakistani expatriates must stand united to support Pakistan and avoid promulgating divisive ideas. They should either confine themselves to the politics of their countries of residence or engage in Pakistani politics to avoid a conflict of interest.
Malik Tariq Ali
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, April 1st, 2023.
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