Overseas Pakistanis will not vote in next elections!!

[A.Rafay]

ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday decided that more then 4 million overseas Pakistani's will not exercise their right to vote from their country of residence.
The reasons behind the decision were described as legal hurdles and the unavailability of an adequate voting mechanism for the 4 million overseas voters spread across 106 countries, to be able to cast their vote. If they wish to exercise their right to vote, they will have to come to Pakistan to cast their ballot.
It was also decided during the meeting that voting will take place again, at polling stations reserved for women, where voter turn out is less than 10 percent.

 

[airmarshal]

Very, very disappointed. Had my NICOP made. We contribute so much to Pakistan and yet we dont even have a right to vote!

 

[Machoman]

Hmm looks like zardari trick again.....during election time PIA rate will increase double and they will force other airlines to make it double airport tax.

 

[Erhabi]

sad news...I really wanted to cast my vote in the upcoming elections anyway ill try to convince my cousins in Pak to vote for PTI

 

[Safriz]

PPP knew that most ofthe 4 million voters will vote against them.

 

[Elmo]

Actually I agree with not letting overseas Pakistanis vote, but not due to resource constraints but because of the flaw behind the logic.

Before anyone spouts how "remittances" work, I feel that those who are dual nationality holders and have not returned to Pakistan and have no plans to do so in the immediate future should have no say in how and who the nation should be run by.

Their voice counts for nothing.

Pakistanis who are staying in Pakistan would be better off without the higher moral ground that expats seem to take. The
"I am more patriotic living in the US/UK/wherever than you living in Pakistan" is so darn annoying. These same people would pay taxes to the country where they are working, but do nothing in turn for Pakistan. And the little they do, they will make sure they make it seem so earth shattering and ground breaking - when it won't be.

 

[Safriz]

Actually I agree with not letting overseas Pakistanis vote, but not due to resource constraints but because of the flaw behind the logic.

Before anyone spouts how "remittances" work, I feel that those who are dual nationality holders and have not returned to Pakistan and have no plans to do so in the immediate future should have no say in how and who the nation should be run by.

Their voice counts for nothing.

Pakistanis who are staying in Pakistan would be better off without the higher moral ground that expats seem to take. The
"I am more patriotic living in the US/UK/wherever than you living in Pakistan" is so darn annoying. These same people would pay taxes to the country where they are working, but do nothing in turn for Pakistan. And the little they do, they will make sure they make it seem so earth shattering and ground breaking - when it won't be.

You know..you have just poked the hornet's nest?

 

[Awesome]

Actually I agree with not letting overseas Pakistanis vote, but not due to resource constraints but because of the flaw behind the logic.

Before anyone spouts how "remittances" work, I feel that those who are dual nationality holders and have not returned to Pakistan and have no plans to do so in the immediate future should have no say in how and who the nation should be run by.

Their voice counts for nothing.

Pakistanis who are staying in Pakistan would be better off without the higher moral ground that expats seem to take. The
"I am more patriotic living in the US/UK/wherever than you living in Pakistan" is so darn annoying. These same people would pay taxes to the country where they are working, but do nothing in turn for Pakistan. And the little they do, they will make sure they make it seem so earth shattering and ground breaking - when it won't be.

As long as someone has a Pakistani nationality they are entitled to the vote. Its no one's business to ask, kab wapis aoge, kyun gaye ho... If its in the law that you can leave the country and come back, then its legal. Otherwise Pakistan and North Korea main koi farq nahi rahay ga.

Also I think thora behtar vote hi daal sakte hain OPs.

These 4 million were all Imran Khan's votes... if PPP would have gotten these votes full action hota.

ECP is bowing down to PPP's inaction.

 

[VCheng]

As long as someone has a Pakistani nationality they are entitled to the vote. Its no one's business to ask, kab wapis aoge, kyun gaye ho... If its in the law that you can leave the country and come back, then its legal. Otherwise Pakistan and North Korea main koi farq nahi rahay ga.

Also I think thora behtar vote hi daal sakte hain OPs.

These 4 million were all Imran Khan's votes... if PPP would have gotten these votes full action hota.

ECP is bowing down to PPP's inaction.

Wise words indeed, if only practiced and not merely uttered.

 

[Jango]

Before anyone spouts how "remittances" work,....

Although I agree with your post in essence, one point i'd like to make here.

The remittances that come back to Pakistan from overseas are not by a dual-national, or a middle class white collar workers, but the 'mazdoor', taxi driver, tandoor wala etc etc, who send the money back home to their families. So, even though the people directly aren't contributing anything to the country, these blue collar folks do in a way contribute something to the country.

But I think good decision by ECP, a person living in Pakistan has the right to vote, and not a person who has been abroad for the last 15 years and doesn't know a thing about the ongoing situation (there are exceptions always, but majority seem totally disconnected)

 

[Safriz]

One of the most influential countries of the world..Israel..relies all on overseas Israelis/Isreal sympathisers...
so alianating overseas Nationals/Sympathizers is a recipe for disaster..
Its anotherthing that the millions upon millions of resident Pakistanis are so lame that they spectacularly failed over a period of 60 years to bring in the right government...

 

[Elmo]

You know..you have just poked the hornet's nest?

Go for it

As long as someone has a Pakistani nationality they are entitled to the vote. Its no one's business to ask, kab wapis aoge, kyun gaye ho... If its in the law that you can leave the country and come back, then its legal. Otherwise Pakistan and North Korea main koi farq nahi rahay ga.

Also I think thora behtar vote hi daal sakte hain OPs.

These 4 million were all Imran Khan's votes... if PPP would have gotten these votes full action hota.

ECP is bowing down to PPP's inaction.

Then change the law so nobody exploits it. Dual nationality should not be allowed.

There are many people working in the Middle East who work on contracts for 30 years and never become nationals, and so they know when all else fails Pakistan it is. But the same is not true for other places.

There are so many people who sit and tell people about how they come from a 3rd world country, and go ahead on that. And in return give nothing to Pakistan. That kind needs to be culled all together.

Although I agree with your post in essence, one point i'd like to make here.

The remittances that come back to Pakistan from overseas are not by a dual-national, or a middle class white collar workers, but the 'mazdoor', taxi driver, tandoor wala etc etc, who send the money back home to their families. So, even though the people directly aren't contributing anything to the country, these blue collar folks do in a way contribute something to the country.

But I think good decision by ECP, a person living in Pakistan has the right to vote, and not a person who has been abroad for the last 15 years and doesn't know a thing about the ongoing situation (there are exceptions always, but majority seem totally disconnected)

Not only disconnected they will beat you down and tell you how things are and should be sitting thousands of miles away.

One of the most influential countries of the world..Israel..relies all on overseas Israelis/Isreal sympathisers...
so alianating overseas Nationals/Sympathizers is a recipe for disaster..
Its anotherthing that the millions upon millions of resident Pakistanis are so lame that they spectacularly failed over a period of 60 years to bring in the right government...

Please, do not kindly compare the work the Israeli lobby does it for its people to what the Pakistani expats do for their people.

That's like comparing stealth mode to shoda mode... the latter too of no use.

 

[VCheng]

One of the most influential countries of the world..Israel..relies all on overseas Israelis/Isreal sympathisers...
so alianating overseas Nationals/Sympathizers is a recipe for disaster..
Its anotherthing that the millions upon millions of resident Pakistanis are so lame that they spectacularly failed over a period of 60 years to bring in the right government...

What's another disaster piled on top of the existing ones? Frankly, this one is much smaller by comparison.

 

[Awesome]

Wise words indeed, if only practiced and not merely uttered.

Practice is there, but you know more often than not, it pisses me off when some (and lets face it we know those types) become this snobby characters... You know jinko Organic Aaloo se kam hazam nahi hota and unko Pakistan aakay koora karkat and sab ganda ganda hi nazar aata hai.

These guys are not fundamentally bad or wrong in their criticism but they are ignoring the big picture and somehow laying fault on the locals too liberally.

Each side needs to understand the other.

People like me who didn't leave Pakistan but whose family were out since before my birth, can't say now if I would have left on my own or not. Maybe I wouldn't have been able to, maybe I wouldn't want to, maybe I would have. About coming back... Its not easy. Every person wants to move up in their career, koi politician ho toh woh chor chaar ke politics karne aa bhi sakta hai. For a regular guy like me, its hard, I sleep with AC on full and then some more and its on all the time I'm there. We are creatures of habit and ab woh aadat hi nahi hai.

But just because I like the AC, should I not be allowed to select who the leader of Pakistan would be? Maybe we have seen good governance out of Pakistan and hence can at least identify qualities of better leaders in Pak? I understand the logic that wahan ka banda hi wahan ke dukh dard ko samajta hai. But dukh dard ke illava bhi koi goverance hoti hai, we as overseas Pakistanis whenever we run our mouth about expert opinions about Pakistan we want to improve Pakistan on the macro level things.

 

[VCheng]

Practice is there, but you know more often than not, it pisses me off when some (and lets face it we know those types) become this snobby characters... You know jinko Organic Aaloo se kam hazam nahi hota and unko Pakistan aakay koora karkat and sab ganda ganda hi nazar aata hai.

These guys are not fundamentally bad or wrong in their criticism but they are ignoring the big picture and somehow laying fault on the locals too liberally.

Each side needs to understand the other.

People like me who didn't leave Pakistan but whose family were out since before my birth, can't say now if I would have left on my own or not. Maybe I wouldn't have been able to, maybe I wouldn't want to, maybe I would have. About coming back... Its not easy. Every person wants to move up in their career, koi politician ho toh woh chor chaar ke politics karne aa bhi sakta hai. For a regular guy like me, its hard, I sleep with AC on full and then some more and its on all the time I'm there. We are creatures of habit and ab woh aadat hi nahi hai.

But just because I like the AC, should I not be allowed to select who the leader of Pakistan would be? Maybe we have seen good governance out of Pakistan and hence can at least identify qualities of better leaders in Pak? I understand the logic that wahan ka banda hi wahan ke dukh dard ko samajta hai. But dukh dard ke illava bhi koi goverance hoti hai, we as overseas Pakistanis whenever we run our mouth about expert opinions about Pakistan we want to improve Pakistan on the macro level things.

I agree with much of what you say, specially the part in bold.