Our Hearts Beat Together - An Open Letter from American Pakis

An Open Letter to:

The Head of Judicial Branch

The Executive Branch

The Legislative Branch

We are writing this letter, because our heart beats together alongside the people of Pakistan. The current condition of Pakistan and the miserable lives that its people are facing, is becoming intolerable for us. Overseas Pakistanis contribute close to $20 billion dollars to uplift not only Pakistan’s economy, but the overall financial conditions of the less fortunate people. Although you people have not given us the right to vote but we have been with you people throughout calamity, natural disasters, and political disturbances in the country for many years.

In 2023, Pakistan experienced a trifecta of challenges - political unrest, an economic crisis, and a disturbing violation of human rights. We are seeing the political instability that has shaken our country. Pakistan remains in the midst of a constitutional crisis, with Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa failing to hold elections within the stipulated 90-day period after their assemblies were dissolved.

Political conflict has intensified and the military has increased its involvement in both economic and political affairs. Senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have been sent to jail. Major office bearers disappeared and then re-emerged only to deliver public statements, resignations and written denunciations of PTI and its protests. Those compliant with this approach were spared jail, while those that refused to follow this script remained in jail, facing seriatim charges even after securing bail from higher courts.

Political arrests and disappearances persisted, despite protests from international human rights organisations and US lawmakers. By the end of November 2023, the push to eliminate the political presence of PTI picked up steam and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) urged the party to conduct intra-party elections or risk having to forfeit its election symbol. The ECP then proceeded to annul the subsequent intra-party elections and took away Khan’s bat symbol.

Throughout the year, the government continued to control media and curtail dissent. Authorities harassed and at times detained journalists and other members of civil society for criticizing government officials and policies. Violent attacks on members of the media also continued.

Pakistan found itself in an economic crisis in 2023. Inflation raged around 40 per cent, power shortages were frequent, while exports, remittances and foreign direct investments all dwindled. In the last 18 months, both the governments in administration, the PDM and then the Caretaker, have hampered the economy, bringing about unprecedented inflation and a currency devaluation. Pakistan is grappling with severe inflation, a declining currency, and critically low foreign reserves, posing significant concerns for its financial stability. Pakistan’s economy is estimated to have contracted in FY23, after two consecutive years of stellar growth. GDP declined by 0.6 percent in 2023 after growing by 6.1 percent in 2022. Annual remittance flows to Pakistan dropped by nearly $4 billion dollars. The country is already running in deficit close to $26 billion dollars.

We are observing that the process of the upcoming elections is not free and fair. We must remember that it is not only the ‘polling day’ that determines free and fair elections, it is the entire election process - from beginning to end. Since the election schedule has been announced, we have seen blatant injustice. A level-playing field has not been provided to all contesters. All parties are being allowed to campaign freely except for PTI, whose leaders have been prevented from campaigning and holding local worker conventions and where PTI workers do manage to gather together they face brutal police action. When PTI held a virtual protest, there was a nationwide shutdown of the internet. A large number of PTI’s nominations for first-choice candidates have been rejected and the ECP is acting in a biased way in scrutinising PTI’s intra-party elections in a way that it has never done before with any other political party.

In such an unfair contest, even if elections are held, they would not convince the hearts and minds of people, as one of the largest parties, PTI, is being denied its basic right to campaign. Such a farce election would only lead to further political instability. This, in turn, would further aggravate an already volatile economy.

As for Concrete Actions, we plan to undertake the following measures:

We will lobby influential US organisations and American-Pakistani businessmen to stop their funding to Pakistan.
We will approach the overseas students who have come from Pakistan in countries around the world to educate their parents to stop illegal activities preventing Pakistan to grow.
We overseas Pakistanis preferably use the stuff manufactured and produce in Pakistan. If the lawlessness in the country prevails for an indefinite period, we will no longer support the manufacturing industry which will cause it to suffer.
Overseas Pakistanis send almost $20 billion dollars to Pakistan. We are sincerely thinking that we will go from state to state, country to country to advise the people of Pakistan to stop remittances. As a result of this, how much the Pakistani economy will suffer is beyond imagination.

We will approach the overseas students who have come from Pakistan in countries around the world to educate their parents to stop illegal activities preventing Pakistan to grow.
We overseas Pakistanis preferably use the stuff manufactured and produce in Pakistan. If the lawlessness in the country prevails for an indefinite period, we will no longer support the manufacturing industry which will cause it to suffer.
Overseas Pakistanis send almost $20 billion dollars to Pakistan. We are sincerely thinking that we will go from state to state, country to country to advise the people of Pakistan to stop remittances. As a result of this, how much the Pakistani economy will suffer is beyond imagination.

We overseas Pakistanis preferably use the stuff manufactured and produce in Pakistan. If the lawlessness in the country prevails for an indefinite period, we will no longer support the manufacturing industry which will cause it to suffer.
Overseas Pakistanis send almost $20 billion dollars to Pakistan. We are sincerely thinking that we will go from state to state, country to country to advise the people of Pakistan to stop remittances. As a result of this, how much the Pakistani economy will suffer is beyond imagination.

Overseas Pakistanis send almost $20 billion dollars to Pakistan. We are sincerely thinking that we will go from state to state, country to country to advise the people of Pakistan to stop remittances. As a result of this, how much the Pakistani economy will suffer is beyond imagination.

The elected government should be trustees of the people, and be respectively and honestly elected. But the people of Pakistan are living as slaves. We strongly believe that this should come to an end. Power lies in the hands of the people. They should elect their members who are sent to parliament to benefit them and uplift the country. We don't want to worship the few idols which were broken into pieces almost 1500 years ago.

The only way forward for Pakistan is fair and free elections, which would bring in a democratic government with a popular mandate. A government chosen by the will of its people, can work with political stability towards economic recovery and rule of law. There is no other way for Pakistan to disentangle itself from the crises confronting it. Unfortunately, with democracy under siege, we are heading in the opposite direction on all these fronts.

American Pakistanis from New Jersey, USA.