The overseas Pakistanis bring $14 billion through bank transactions and another $28 billion through Hawala (money transferred through a network of brokers) every year, totaling $42 billion.“

If government serves its overseas Pakistanis and take initiatives by providing them incentives then they can play a vital role in boosting Pakistan’s economy through their remittances and investments for the socio economic prosperity of Pakistan”, business community representatives remarked. Overseas Pakistanis were perturbed because of land grabbers, law and order situation and lack of coordination between the business community. On the other hand, courts also do not decide cases on time.

Proper legislation is needed to provide protection to investments of Overseas Pakistanis,” they said.They elaborated that the ministry should invite Overseas Pakistanis to come and invest in the country because public and private partnership was essential for the development of country. They said that 48 per cent of Overseas Pakistanis are working in the Middle East, 28 per cent in Europe and 19 per cent in the United States.

He said that 5 million votes of Overseas Pakistanis will play an important role in upcoming elections.“We are better Pakistanis as compared to those persons who are living in Pakistan and instead of investing in the country, transfer money to banks in Switzerland,” APBF UK Chapter President designate Kamran Khan said.

He suggested the government to evolve a mechanism to become more effective in facilitating investments in the country and for this purpose oversees Pakistanis should be given maximum incentives to win their trust. He said that government failed to attract foreign investment, as the present process of approval of projects discourages investors.

There is need to work on a one window system where the investor can be provided all necessary information and facilities.APBF chairman Syed Nabeel Hashmi said that overseas Pakistanis are one of the biggest sources to boost economy of the country adding that overseas Chinese and Indians have made huge investment in their respective countries.

He asked the bureaucracy to work on simplification of procedures by revisiting the existing processes without compromising on transparency so that the investors were comforted.APBF central president Rashid Mehr stated that over the last several years, the foreign exchange remittances have maintained a steady rising trend,

with a recorded increase of 21.8pc from $6.4 million in 2007-08 to $7.8 million during 2008-09. In 2009-10, Pakistani sent home $9.4 billion, the 11th largest in the world. By 2012, Pakistan increased its ranking to 10th in the world for remittances sent home at $13 billion per annum.