禁漫天堂

@h6byu786 .

Brother these 10 years please please please dont thinking about coming to pakistan and worling etc something else .

Pakistani govt no have stable next 10 years also security sechation .

Thanks .

Hi all, I've seen a few posts on this site about people considering moving to Pakistan before Covid.
I'm Pakistani (British born) and so is my wife. We have a 2yr old son.

I've never been to PK but my wifes been a few times growing up.

I'm a university lecturer and PhD holder, and can do remote work, and thinking of setting up a base in PK to go few months of the year (spend the winters there). Son will probably be home schooled with online tutors.

Main reason for going is for better weather, preserve deen, expose son to different style of live and to be grateful for what he has and to make a base for other family members to visit us (I have some family in Jordan and Saudi).

My questions are:

1) Would you consider buying property there, or renting? What is the approx rent for a 3 bed apartment in Islamabad or Lahore? If I purchase land, is it difficult and complex to have a house made?

2) What is the internet connection like in Islamabad and Lahore, especially in terms of remote working in UK

3) What is the approximate income needed to survive in PK? For me, wife and son - decent life style, not extravagant but not so simple either.

4) I have heard that there are lots of scammers in PK. I guess the same could be said for anywhere. There are good and bad people everywhere, and we'll only get whatever is in our kismat at the end of the day. But, is it really as bad and unsafe as some of the elders in the PK community living in UK make it out?

5) Any further advice.

Thanks everyone!
-@h6byu786

If you plan to live in Pakistan for the rest of your life, and you have the disposable income to buy a home. Then I would say buy the home. But if you only plan to spend a few years on and off then it won't matter if you plan to rent or not.

If you buy the land it is not difficult to get the complex made. You will have to find good workers who are experienced and know what they are doing. Otherwise you will have many issues with your house such as cracking foundation, and walls, and many things will be uneven, and wiring won't be correct, plumbing won't be correct, etc.

That depends on where you want to rent in Islamabad or Lahore. If you want to rent in the ghetto then you can find a place for 100 USD a month. If you want to rent in the diplomatic enclave in Islamabad you will be paying 500-1,000 USD a month for a 3 bedroom there. You can try Baharia town, or Defense. And it will cost you about 300-500 USD a month for a 3 bedroom there. But prices are always changing in Pakistan.

We don't know your lifestyle so it is hard to say. But bills such as electricity is super expensive. Most Pakistanis are getting Eletric bills that are more then their monthly paychecks. The load shedding was solved for only a short while and now the government is back to doing it for electricity, and gas. I would say you could survive on 1,000 USD a month and live a comfortable life style. But if you want a luxurious lifestyle you will need more then that.

Yes it is very dangerous right now to live in Pakistan, and most foreigners and even dual national Pakistanis have left and refuse to go back. After the floods happened it forced millions into the cities with no money, etc and even the flood victims are not safe from criminals with them robbing the flood victims, and raping them, and kidnapping them.

Then the economic collapse happened, and millions of more people lost their jobs. If you go to Pakistan now you can even see children eating out of trash trying to find scraps of food because their parents can afford to feed them. The situation in Pakistan is dire, and not a good one currently, and will probably take a few years to resolve if not longer. Also now you have the renewed assault by the government on different rebel groups that have started a whole new civil war in the country, and a lot of that information is oppressed and doesn't make it to the news.

Scammers will be the least of your worries. Since there is many kidnapping groups, etc. But scammers are huge in Pakistan maybe not as bad as India but they are up there. They come from all over, and try all types of different scams. Or outright steal from you when they have the chance.

@h6byu786

It does not seem to be good idea to move back. Currently for last 75 years ARMY had destroyed the law and order situation, even now crooks are in power, No judiciary system, No protection.

@Mumtaz Ahmad86 Interesting, thank you for sharing. Shame that this is the situation.

@Randomguy2000 Thank you for your insightful feedback! It is much appreciated. I understand it's dangerous at the moment, so your message has definitely made me think about various considerations before moving. I think I'll visit a few times to scope out the country and then only move if I can find a safe destination.

@faizee5252 Thank you for your insight

I don't know where you are on your journey but a lot of British Pakistani's have made this journey and are settled in Pakistan - they describe a country entirely different to that presented by some of the comments here.

I recommend watching a youtube channel set up by a British Pakistani who has done this and is into his 2nd year.聽 He shares his experiences and will give you an idea of costs.聽 Based on my research, you can expect to pay around 1500 British pounds per month for a good life, living in DHA Islamabad.聽 The youtube channel is called My British Pakistani Life.聽 They also have a WhatsApp group where you can ask questions of a host of people who have already made the move.聽 I personally have started the journey and am slowly setting up a base and indeed it is nowhere near as bad as the comments describe.聽 In many ways it is actually quite good.聽 But you need to go slow, step by step.聽 Good luck.聽 You are not alone there is a whole community of us who are doing just this. and this community is growing

@h6byu786

Oh, the idea of moving to Pakistan, huh? Well, let鈥檚 break it down, shall we? First off, imagine trying to buy property. Sounds simple enough, but buying land in Pakistan is almost like signing up for a live-action role-playing game, where the plot twists are endless, and the stakes are high. You could be the proud owner of a piece of land, and then bam! The army, bureaucracy, or a random guy in a fancy suit decides your dream home is now their dream home. The paperwork alone could turn your hair grey before the house even starts to take shape. And don't get me started on construction鈥攚hat鈥檚 a 鈥渂uilding permit鈥� anyway? A mere suggestion, apparently!

Now, as for the internet connection in Islamabad and Lahore. Ah, yes, they鈥檝e got 4G and 5G, and it鈥檚 about as fast as a snail on vacation. Remote working with a UK time zone? Well, you'll find that "work-from-home" becomes "wait-for-home" because the internet tends to disappear like a magician鈥檚 trick, and it鈥檚 not even a good one. It鈥檚 like playing a game of hide-and-seek, except you鈥檙e always the one hiding. And let's not forget those random power outages that will turn your "productive day" into a Netflix binge marathon... in the dark.

Now, onto the cost of living鈥擯akistan can be a rollercoaster of expenses. You鈥檒l find that gas, electricity, and petrol seem to enjoy the same trend as your favorite stock market鈥攁lways rising, often unpredictably. One minute, you're filling up your tank for a reasonable price, the next minute, you鈥檙e paying more than the rent for your three-bedroom flat in a fancy Islamabad neighborhood. Meanwhile, water is something that disappears faster than the internet during a storm. Don鈥檛 be surprised if you end up collecting rainwater like you鈥檙e starring in a dystopian survival film.

And as for safety鈥攍et鈥檚 just say, if you're not buddies with a few generals or politicians, you might want to keep your low profile. Life in Pakistan has its charm, but don鈥檛 kid yourself into thinking that your rights will be heard in a court of law if you happen to ruffle the wrong feathers. Have a little issue with a local official? Good luck鈥攊f you don鈥檛 have connections with the right people, expect to get lost in a bureaucratic maze.

Honestly, with the state of things right now鈥攍awlessness, political instability, and let's not forget the extremist attitudes that are becoming all too common鈥攊t might be safer and far more peaceful to stick where you are, where you have your freedom of speech, stability, and at least you won鈥檛 have to second guess every time you get in a car, whether the driver has proper papers or a sense of direction.

Now, don鈥檛 get me wrong, you can still nurture your deen and your family鈥檚 values while staying in the UK鈥攖here are amazing online scholars like Dr. Yasir Qadhi, Nouman Ali Khan, and many others who can guide you spiritually, all from the comfort of your own home. And let鈥檚 be honest, with the internet (which, fingers crossed, doesn鈥檛 go out mid-lecture), you can learn and grow spiritually while sipping your favorite coffee in peace.

In conclusion, if you鈥檙e looking for a life that isn鈥檛 a game of chance with every decision, if you don鈥檛 want to gamble with your family鈥檚 safety and well-being in a land where the rules change depending on who's in power, I鈥檇 say it鈥檚 better to stay where you are. Life in Pakistan isn鈥檛 for the faint of heart, and while it has its moments of beauty, they can be quickly overshadowed by the daily struggles that come with navigating through chaos. So, while Pakistan is beautiful and rich in history, maybe it's not the time to plant your roots there, at least not with everything that鈥檚 going on. Keep your head in the game, stay cozy in the UK, and keep learning from the best with zero power cuts.

By the way, is "Engineer" in your title because you're secretly trying to channel some of Engineer Mohammad Ali Mirza's wisdom? Or are you just hoping to learn to build a home without having to deal with all the paperwork? 馃槣