As the day of general elections is approaching, the level of agitation among overseas Pakistanis is escalating. They consider Saturday's elections as a significant step for the future of democracy in Pakistan and want new faces in power. The Pakistani community in New York With expressed mixed reaction over restrictions imposed by the Supreme Court on their right to vote in the general elections.
A 58-year-old political analyst based in New York, Jahangir Lodhi, is concerned about the future of Pakistan. He had no optimistic views about the upcoming general elections. According to him: "The elections will bring no positive change." Lodhi said: "Elections cannot bring change, only people can do it if they start abiding by the law and say No to corruption."
He said: "There is no likelihood that PTI will be able to grab a substantial number of seats in the elections...Imran Khan will be unable to deliver because he has fielded the same old 'political champions', who will not allow him to materialise his promises...The new government will be weak and at best be a coalition government".
A woman entrepreneur, Shazia Agha, said: "When we hear news from Pakistan we worry about our relatives...Pakistan was not like this when we migrated to the United States nearly two decades ago...No matter who comes to power, the question will remain: will our political parties deliver and give us better living (standard) and (improve the condition of earning) a livelihood in Pakistan?"
Muhammad Asif, a 48-year-old businessman from Lahore said: "We (overseas Pakistanis) always support (whatever is) good for Pakistan with the hope that it may bring a positive change in the country...and we will be able to return to a better Pakistan." "In the coming elections, we support Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI)...Earlier, Pervez Musharraf was the most popular person among overseas Pakistanis and we even paid between $200 and $400 to listen to him at Hilton, but he betrayed our confidence and hopes....We are now supporting Imran Khan."
A New York-based Pakistani businessman, Muhammad Tayyab, 60, said: "The bar imposed by the (Supreme Court) on our right to vote is not a good decision - Pakistan's apex court has directed the Election Commission to make arrangements for overseas Pakistanis to vote in the next elections, but not this one." He said: "We have high expectations of the nation that it will choose 'Mr Right' in the coming general elections." Muhammad Ibrahim Qureshi, a 75-year-old social worker and the founder of Umbrella Welfare Trust, said: "The continuity of democratic process is crucial for the country's development and elections will (hopefully) weed out politicians who failed to deliver...Issues such as corruption and bad governance will be resolved over time."
Qureshi was optimistic about the outcome of the elections: "Despite terrorists' attempts to sabotage election campaigns of Pakistan's liberal political parties, elections can be held, if the real rulers of the country really want to do so". Another Social Worker and the Founder of 'Sukhi New York', Agha Muhammad Saleh, said: "We want peace and better economic condition in Pakistan and I hope that May 11 elections will be the turning point for better prospects of the country."