Salaam need advice about moving back to pakistan

[happyheart]

Re: Salaam need advice about moving back to pakistan

@homesick

Salaam. I am new to this forum and just wanted to ask people’s opinions/experiences about this strong desire I have had over the last couple of years to move to Pakistan. I came to the U.S at the age of 8-9 and had a hard time adjusting initially. I adjusted well and after 9/11 in college, I had a period of reanalyzing my identity. I got married in Pakistan and have made 3 trips there in the last few years. What I observed was that, given you have a descent income, people are more relaxed and live more in Pakistan. Here in the U.S there is this atmosphere of stress. No one is happy. Everyone is stressed and life seems very mechanical. There is just atmosphere of coldness-no apna pun- no identity-.You just work and pay the bills, and work and pay the bills and the cycle continues. I feel more and more like a stranger and fear spending the rest of my life in this aimless cycle. Mind you all of my family is here, including uncles/aunts and their kids. However, I fear my kids losing their identities and not wanting to have anything to do with Pakistan. I want them to experience a Muslim majority country. I know Pakistan is corrupt, but still muslim majority and you get to be a 1st class citizen. What I wanted to ask was, does anyone know families who have moved back permanently, and if so, how was their experience? Do you recommend it? I can’t see myself getting old here living this meaningless existence. That is my biggest fear Do others feel this way? I think about it all the time. I have a descent job, so that’s not the issue. People here are fake, and there are no true friendships. Am I wrong in feeling this way? Should we live here permanently? Please share you thoughts/advice/experiences

Well i can shed some light on this issue because in know some families who did move to Pakistan and there are some who are contemplating to move to Pakistan. ALSO there are family members who totally failed in the USA because they have problems raising their children in the USA.

I have been living in the Netherlands for the last 32 years so i know how it is to live abroad. I was 9 when i moved to the Netherlands from Karachi. Life in Pakistan is not easy at all and you also know that i am sure. You are right that when you have well paid job than life is much easier in Pakistan. But is that all? No its not all. These days the situation in Pakistan is not very stable.
I personally do not believe that STATE OF MIND AND PEACE is dependent on a country you live in. I know many Pakistanis who live abroad that are more islamic more patriotic then those who live in Pakistan. Its all up the the parents how they raise their children. Nothing to do with a country you live in .

If you as a parent give your children stable environment to grow and you pay enough attention raising them as a Pakistan by telling them about Pakistan, going every year (or every 2 years) to Pakistan then all will be fine and they will not forget their culture believe me they will not.

I did not do any survey but what i have seen in my life is that those who were very rich and had enough money to move to Pakistan, whether they moved to their village or Islamabad…at the end after 1, 2 or 5 years they HAD to come back. WHY? Because of the future of their children, their education, safety problem in Pakistan, corruption in Pakistan, health problems.
Believe me does not matter how much money you have when people are SICK (may God keep us all healthy) people do go abroad for treatment.

Best would be to regularly go to Pakistan so that your children know about their culture. Believe me i love Pakistan more than anything int he world. I constantly am worried about Pakistan and think about Pakistan and pray that Pakistan may prosper. But you will be dissapointed big time in Pakistani Muslims since u have a very high expectations about “Muslim Majority Country”.

There is so much i want to type and i dont know where to start or when to end i hope i did help u little bit.