DUBAI: As election news from back home unfolded on their TV screens, millions of Pakistani expatriates across the globe, and those in the UAE, spent a restless day.
The condition was the same for those at work and others who were in the comfort of their homes.
With a usual day in office, Sheherzad Kaleem found time to watch live coverage of Pakistani media broadcasts on her phone.
“As an expat in Dubai, I wish we had the option to cast our vote from here. This election is a crucial one for Pakistan and I wish I had been able to do my part,” she said.
Instead all she can do is watch the election coverage. “Flipping between different channels to get a well-rounded perspective on what is happening in Pakistan is what kept me occupied today,” said Kaleem.
Kaleem, a film producer, said if she was in her city of birth, she would have cast her vote. “Had I been in Karachi, I would have voted for Jibran Nasir, as he represents a fresh point of view that we have all been waiting for,” she said.
“Overall, I hope the PTI wins, not because I agree with all of Imran Khan’s policies or even appreciate his team of candidates, but because he is the only one who can break the hold of the typical three to four parties that have controlled Pakistani politics for decades.”
Sarfaraz Ali also spent his day closely following election-related news on Twitter and TV.
“After hearing about the terrible blast in Quetta, my hope is that the situation does not escalate and Pakistanis get to exercise their right to vote peacefully,” said Ali, a photographer whose constituency is NA-243 in Karachi.
“If I was in Karachi, I would most probably have voted for Imran Khan,” he said.
Dr. Salman Hameed was busy with his patients all day. “I did not get the time to follow the election day events but I sincerely hope Pakistanis will rise above the old tradition of voting for failed political leaders and parties and vote with honesty and in the national interest,” he said.
Hameed, however, admits that his is wishful thinking and that he is only hoping against hope.
Faraz Waqar, on the other hand, was not at all interested in the election activities in his country. “I am spending the day like any other. Personally, I am very disappointed that the elections are happening,” he said.
“Everyone’s performance record is bad and tainted with corruption. I am trying to ignore the entire election process,” said the media and marketing professional.
Ahmed Ali, a mason from Sindh province in Pakistan, was also uninterested in the political activity in his country.
“Every five years, this drama happens but nothing changes at the ground level,” he said, adding that in 2013 he went to Pakistan to cast his vote and made special arrangements for the entire family to participate in the electoral process.
“But democracy has delivered nothing in my village. Hence me and my family decided not to vote this time. My priority right now is to work hard here so that my family gets a decent life and I can educate my children,” Al said.
“If I have to leave my country to earn a decent living, then what is the use of such democracy and parliament?” he said.
