As I appreciate the sentiments of the PM, towards us Overseas Pakistanis, I have to feel for the Pakistanis in Pakistan, that for lack of opportunity don’t get to develop their skills as much as they could with the adequate resources. Conversely, are sidelined or suppressed when they speak out to get those resources and opportunities.
Secondly, there is a potential security risk of inviting overseas Pakistanis, that hold a foreign nationality into the government, as a minister, unless it is for the specific post of minister for Overseas Pakistanis.
What maybe a good way for overseas Pakistanis to contribute without having to relinquish their foreign nationality, but offer advise (when the government requests it) would be consultancies in the form of think tanks and heads of startup incubators. In this way, they can share their expertise, and help open a new private avenue to find local partners, to try new things, and offer their findings. The government can commission studies from them if their firm proves the most capable, and local firms can also compete to win contracts on equal footing.
In any area, the government considers requesting input of overseas Pakistanis, it should fund research by local top talent, at research universities, and allow the two to collaborate with their independent findings afterwards. The two independent approaches and subsequent collaboration may allow for a better understanding of the ground realities, challenges and opportunities, without wasting or diminishing the expertise of both talent pools.
In a sense this approach has been tried before, in Pakistan, when the team from PAEC collaborated with scientists under the direction of A.Q. Khan, if I remember correctly. They’re separate but equally valid expertise led to nuclear capabilities Pakistan has today.