By Henna Butt

As someone on the mailing list for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) (the political party run by ex-cricketer turned politician Imran Khan) I regularly get emails encouraging me grab one of the last few tickets for a dinner event with the party’s chairman at a swanky hotel. Pakistani political parties put a huge amount of time and effort into their operations in the UK and elsewhere around the world. This has led me to question what exactly these organisations hope to gain from their activities outside of the home state. As migration increases, transnational political engagement becomes more widespread amongst diaspora communities – what are the consequences for state democracy?

By Irfan Husain

For the last few years, ever since I began spending more time in the UK, I have been using taxis during my frequent and extended visits to Karachi. Most of my conversations with the drivers are about the problems they face. Invariably, they are centred round the many shortages the working class has to put up with.