In a determined step towards welcoming its extended global family, Pakistan is hosting the first-ever Overseas Pakistanis Convention 2025: a historic move marking an authentic acknowledgement of the diaspora’s long-standing contribution and genuine dedication to strengthening ties. Much more than a social event, it is expected to shape up to be a physical bridge being constructed connecting the hearts and intellects of overseas Pakistanis with their homeland’s development and ambitions alike. Our international presence is vast, its diaspora, a living network that bridges distances across continents. Estimated at 8.8 million citizens living outside their homeland, the country possesses one of the world’s largest communities of overseas citizens. Middle Eastern desert sands cradle the largest proportions with a massive 2.6 million residing in Saudi Arabia, with a further 1.2 million thriving in the United Arab Emirates. Outside the peninsula, Pakistan’s recognizable accents ring out from the United Kingdom, 1.5 million of which have made their new home there, and across the Atlantic in America, which is home to over half a million.
The sheer volume of this outward migration highlights the diaspora’s increasingly central role in determining Pakistan’s socio-economic future. During just the last five years, an astonishing number of 3.27 million Pakistanis have travelled abroad seeking opportunity, with 1.8 million finding their way to Saudi Arabia first and over 700,000 going to the UAE. These are not just numbers but individual tales of aspiration, grit, and an enduring link with the homeland that was left behind.
Overseas Pakistanis’ financial lifeline is nothing less than revolutionary for the economy of this country. Remittances–hard-earned earnings repatriated overseas workers–in all of 2024’s first eleven months amounted to an astonishing $21.5 billion. This foreign exchange lifeline is a measure of overseas Pakistanis’ abiding commitment to their own families and country. It was headed by Saudi Arabia at $7.29 billion, followed by that of the UAE at $6.15 billion, that of the UK at $4.71 billion, and that of America at $3.44 billion. These are the pillars of numerous households, driving local economies and securing Pakistan’s financial stability in a precarious world.
Middle Eastern desert sands cradle the largest proportions with a massive 2.6 million residing in Saudi Arabia, with a further 1.2 million thriving in the United Arab Emirates.
Overseas Pakistanis Convention 2025, conceived to be an annual pillar of interaction, is built on transparent and engaging goals. Primarily, there is the need to recognize the outstanding accomplishments and often unheralded sacrifices of overseas Pakistanis in their host countries. This convention will hopefully be an event to recognize their strength of spirit, their labour, and their abiding loyalty to their motherland. Secondly, it will provide a venue to facilitate genuine interaction, an unmediated channel of communication between the diaspora and the corridors of governance in Islamabad. This interaction will enable frank communication of ideas, issues, and hopes. Thirdly, the convention aims to positively identify and redress the particular issues and predicaments that beset Pakistani communities abroad, ensuring their voices are heard through policy-making.
The organization of the forum itself reflects this focus on direct interaction. More than twenty federal ministries and agencies are setting up designated stalls at the forum location, providing a rare chance for visitors to interact with government representatives in person, offer valuable feedback, and discuss issues that concern their own lives abroad.
There has been a fantastic spirit of participation from the diaspora. Participants are taking the trip to Pakistan on their own, sometimes opting to reside in their villages of origin, a testament to their strong sense of belonging and commitment to their homeland. Even with this genuine interest, there have been isolated attempts by some anti-state forces to spin a different story of what remains a genuine show of interest from overseas Pakistanis. However, the resounding response from an overwhelming number of overseas Pakistanis is an unmistakable expression of deep interest and bonafide intent to interact positively with their country, to share their knowledge, and to be a part of Pakistan’s development. Overseas Pakistanis Convention 2025 is a strategic, long-overdue initiative towards an inclusive model of national development. By eyeing an active engagement with collaboration, earnestly addressing shared issues, and earnestly tapping into the boundless potential that lies amongst citizens abroad, the government is poised to leverage the strength and resources of overseas Pakistanis for national good. Pakistan views its diaspora not only as a means of receiving remittances but also as an invaluable resource, a worldwide force waiting to participate in building a better future for all Pakistanis, local as well as abroad. This is something we need to understand ourselves and make them understand as well. It can revolutionize the bond between Pakistan and its diaspora by moving from transactional transactions to a deeper, collaborative, and ultimately more effective partnership.
The writer is a freelance columnist.