The results of an election can be surprising but not always for the same reasons. A study featured on the London School of Economics and Political Science site titled ‘The British Asian Vote for Brexit contains a few surprises,’ states that the British South Asian vote, particularly of those that were more wealthy, displayed a stronger Euro scepticism than imagined. Although most minority groups voted Remain, the South Asian voters were more likely than others to vote Leave. Rakib Ehsan, a doctoral candidate who specialises in ethnic minority socio-political attitudes and behaviour in the UK, points out that in jurisdictions with at least 25 percent or more South Asians, “It’s not unreasonable to think that such Leave votes could not have been delivered without a significant number of Asian voters opting for Brexit.” Above all, this is an example of how a minority group can play a surprising role to impact a close election. It also points to the need for further studies to be conducted to reveal the motivations of voters. Although many South Asians may not identify with a ‘European Collective’, they identify themselves strongly with the UK finding a ‘pro-Commonwealth nostalgia’ attractive, explains Ehsan. The South Asian community’s historical ties to the UK and their native countries are strong, and they are becoming increasingly more politically aware. As far back as 1911 South Asian women have played a pivotal role in the British women’s suffrage movement. British Colonial powers gave men the right to vote but excluded women. Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, a prominent South Asian woman whose family was exiled to England, fought not only for the right to vote but struggled for freedom from colonialism. Last month on February 6, England celebrated the historic 100 year anniversary of the passing of the Representation of the People’s Act which granted British women above the age of 30 the right to vote. As part of a campaign called #HiddenCredits, London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan highlighted Princess Sophia Duleep Singh and another South Asian woman named Lolita Roy, who played significant roles in women’s suffrage movements both in the UK and back home. Their names along with 57 other men and women will be etched onto a statue of suffragist Millicent Fawcett to be unveiled in Parliament Square later this Spring, making it the first statue of a woman in the Parliament Square. The South Asian community’s historical ties to the UK and their native countries are strong, and they are becoming increasingly more politically aware A century later, the UK residents of South Asian descent are not done fighting for voting rights, this time for absentee voting. A British Pakistani law student named Yasmin Khan first petitioned the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 1993 to seek the right to vote while being an expatriate British Pakistani. In 2012, PTI’s Imran Khan moved the Supreme Court of Pakistan to allow overseas Pakistanis to vote. Since then, the case has been taken back to courts by Dawood Ghazanavi, a constitutional lawyer from the UK along with Dr Farhat Siddiqui and others from civil society. They have been leading a movement to call on the Supreme Court of Pakistan to pressurise the government and Election Commission of Pakistan to make voting for expatriates a reality by devising a mechanism that can be successfully tested to cast votes from abroad. As of 2012, more than3.7 million, roughly only half of Pakistani expatriates worldwide hold National Identity cards which can allow them to be eligible to vote. Eligible voters would then be spread across constituencies throughout Pakistan. At the same time, similar cases are being heard in India. Nagender Chindam, the founder of a UK-based rights group, petitioned the government and Supreme Court of India to be able to cast absentee postal ballots. According to a2016 UN report on Migration, India has the largest diaspora in the world with over 16 million expatriates. But first, the Representation of People’s Act in India, which allows overseas voters to vote only while present in the country, would need to be amended. The Congress Party in India has asked for foolproof ‘safeguards’ to be in place as to not put the integrity of elections at stake before such a decision is taken as well as ensuring similar rights for internally displaced migrants. In the meantime, Pakistani expatriates are not only becoming more involved in local politics but also running for public office themselves, even as their patriotism is being challenged. Former British MP Chaudhry Sarwar, Britain’s first Muslim member of parliament, made headlines this month when he was elected to Pakistan’s Senate. The Supreme Court of Pakistan recently took suo moto action against suspected dual nationals who have obtained public office and are legally residing in the country on the pretence that they may not be loyal citizens. Sarwar was asked by the honourable chief justice to satisfy the court regarding his stakes in Pakistan since “…his family remained British citizens and all his wealth was parked abroad too.” But earlier, in the voting rights case, the chief justice had acknowledged that “…the hearts of overseas Pakistanis beat for Pakistan.” Confusingly, at the same time, the case also brought up the issue of Hussain Haqqani, his loyalty, and reopening of the Memogate case. It is interesting to note that despite not being British citizens, Commonwealth citizen residents of the UK from countries such as Pakistan, are allowed to not only to vote but also to run for elections and hold public offices in the UK. And Britons living abroad for less than 15 years were also allowed to vote for the Brexit referendum. Whether South Asian expatriates can ultimately play a decisive role, expanding the franchise could enable them to become important players in domestic politics of their native countries. Inside Pakistan, it may also open up questions on loyalties and trust. The writer is a freelance journalist and former contributor to Al-Jazeera America. Email: Meriam.Sabih@gmail.com; Twitter @meriamsabih Published in Daily Times, March 17th 2018.