Re: Attaining a PhD from Pakistan v/s Europe or US
For several areas, the admission ‘academic’ requirements are more strict in North American universities. Their coursework requirements are generally more stringent too and take a long time before you formally start your research. The admission is more formalized and you select a specific topic only after a couple of years into the program.
Many universities in the UK, for example, would require a clear research proposal before you are admitted. You need to convince a potential supervisor before you formally apply too. The opinion of potential supervisor affects the admission process. The programs are generally shorter with fewer coursework requirements and more focused on your research.
Most of the PhD programs are university funded in North America which might not be the case in UK where students generally have to source their own funding.