The Woes of an Expatriate

Over the weekend, I was reminiscing with another expatriate Pakistani colleague about the trips that we have made to Pakistan. Exploring, adventure, sightseeing…Tallying notes, re-living the stunning memories that one is bound to create when they are out exploring. At one point of our discussion, both of us agreed that living in Pakistan is one of the most desirable long term plans. I have always been patriotic and extremely biased towards this idea. I have truly believed that, I can not only survive, but also live a much better life in Pakistan. Even though being a single working mother, I do face different circumstances than most families. My faith in this idea has never wavered, that my dream of living in Pakistan will be realized.
The love of my country and the hope of a better tomorrow have kept me politically polarized as well as inclined towards keeping informed about what goes on in Pakistan. Like most expats, my source is the talk shows and the news and the live streams. However, the thing about being an expatriate is, you can switch off the TV and get a break from patriotism. I have been hit with this realization many a times, that when I get too concerned, when I am too involved, there are always distractions for me from my own comfortable life in comparison. I have been on a break emotionally and physically I needed one. So. I took one. Now that I’m back and was catch up on with all the happenings, I am thinking I live a life of luxury in comparison to lives of millions in Pakistan. My bills are paid online, my groceries dropped off at my doorstep and my car is always full with premiumpatrol. Even if patrol prices fluctuate I don’t have to stand in line for kilometers to get a half tank full of patrol. But in my country people are paying twice the price on diesel-because our government has decided to put 98% tax on the price of diesel.
Is it so ironic? That everything is more difficult for the common man? A person who can’t afford the bare necessities, life is made hard for them. Someone who needs diesel to run his transport, or business, if he has to pay 98% tax where and how will he strike a balance? If the common man cannot earn enough money to support a decent life, then why is he paying so many taxes?
Opposed to someone who has been corrupt and has hoarded money over the years and has not paid a single penny of tax, the government is providing all such thugs amnesty.
The people who can’t actually afford any electricity because it is so expensive are suffering from hours of load shedding, opposed to the corporates and the industries that are illegally using up all these resources.
The government is selling our land, slowly and steadily to foreign powers. Our trade routes are sold, the people using these trade routes are becoming mightier and our people are becoming poorer.
Our oil reserves, gold reserves, are openly sold for peanuts, and we are suffering from a power shortage, from energy crisis.
Our nation’s wealth is stacked in Swiss banks and no one has the time, or the acumen or either the authority to get it back.
The government has been selling the country left, right and center, LNG, Metro, Gawadar, power projects, name a deal and you will have billions worth of corruption associated with it, who benefits and who is a loser. It doesn’t require a genius to answer that question.
We are blessed with one of the most exciting and stunning landscapes, the 6 tallest peaks, the 2nd highest plane, the most amazing lakes, the most inspiring history. And our tourism industry is literally non-existent.
So in these circumstances, a common man doesn’t really exist. If I am from the middle class, I will not be looked after by my state.
Still I have been thinking of going back to my roots. And one day, I will. But it is food for thought, that do my roots even exist? Or have they been sold out!