Expatriates vow to double remittances and investment

KARACHI - The expatriate Pakistanis could double the inflow of remittances and foreign investment in case they were given representation in the parliament.
In the proposed 18th Amendment, the Pakistan government must give the right of vote and representation to the overseas Pakistanis in the Parliament.
The representatives of the overseas Pakistanis said this while addressing an online conference from USA and other counties on Friday. The online conference was organised at Karachi Press Club on Friday.
Sarfraz Khan Chairman Friends of Pakistan (FOP), settled in California USA, while other leaders of the FOP Dr Nisar Chaudhry, National Advisor for Washington DC and Dr Khalid Mehmood President Middle East spoke at online news conference. Abdullah Butt and Tehmina Khan were the moderators for the press conference at Karachi Press Club.
Chairman FOP Sarfraz said that Friends of Pakistan is a non-profit organisation, established few years back and it was committed to promoting goodwill, friendship and entrepreneurial opportunities among Pakistani expatriates and the community at large. He said the Friends of Pakistan has initiated a global campaign for expatriates under the banner of "Meri Awaz Suno". This campaign aims to have a 'Right of Vote to expatriate Pakistanis' so that they may elect their representatives in overseas countries while this was an effective voice of overseas Pakistanis, he maintained.
This campaign now converted into "Hamari Awaz Suno" in its next phase. He claimed that more than 10m overseas Pakistanis living abroad and performing important tasks in their chosen countries improving Pakistan's image.
The expatriate Pakistanis were helping Pakistan by remitting foreign exchange in billions of dollars every year to their motherland, he said and regretted that they have no voice in Pakistani Parliament. He further said, "We have received tremendous amount of positive response from all over the globe and now we have more than 80 chapters of Friends of Pakistan consisted on expatriates Pakistani settled in the United States, Europe, Canada and Middle East.
He said at least 20 seats in National Assembly and Senate should be reserved for expatriates while their overseas Pakistani must be declared their electoral colleges or constituencies. This was not a new or unique demand in the world as France, Philippines, Mexico, Portugal and other countries have already reserved number of seats in their parliaments for their expatriate citizens, he said.
FOP was the only global organisation of overseas Pakistanis aims to provide assistance or help to Pakistan in various sectors, he claimed. He appealed to the President of Pakistan, Prime Minister of Pakistan and leaders of other political parties in Pakistan that Overseas Pakistanis representation in parliament must be included in 18th amendment which will boost confidence in overseas Pakistani community.
Meanwhile, the first International Convention of Friends of Pakistan for overseas Pakistani will be held at Los Angeles USA on February 14th and 15th, 2009.
The noted Pakistani dignitaries, economists, politicians and experts are invited as speakers to highlight the importance of expatriates Pakistani towards nation building steps.
On behalf of overseas Pakistanis he offered that they are ready to make investment in IT, Agriculture, Education, Health and other sectors while further strategy would be evolved in upcoming Overseas Pakistani Convention, he concluded.