Problem
Introduction
Pakistani diaspora is comprised of around four per cent of the country's population. Contributing about five per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the form of remittances, the overseas Pakistanis provide space to the economy in coping with the huge budget deficit and adverse balance of payments. Yet, despite this positive role, the nearly seven million Pakistanis scattered around the world, upon whom around eight per cent of the country's population comprising their families is dependent, shape and transform conflicts at different levels.
Since the 1950s, when migration from Pakistan began till now, at least three generations of overseas Pakistanis have been born and brought up among diversified cultures and religions. This process of circular and permanent migration has thrown up conflicts of cultural, social, family and societal nature both in their home country and in countries where they live permanently or temporarily. Whereas the great majority of the diaspora is only economically oriented there are groups and sections among them that are politically charged such as Baloch and Sindhi dissidents who from time to time organise protests to voice their demands and draw the attention of the western media to the alleged persecution of their communities in Pakistan.
This paper will examine the issue of Pakistani diaspora in the context of conflict conflagration and conflict mitigation by responding to the following questions:
A. What is conflict-generated diaspora and how it causes conflict conflagration and mitigation?
B. What types of conflicts are caused by the Pakistani diaspora?
C. How does the Pakistani diaspora shape the formation and transformation of positive and negative conflicts?