Free Life

Fifty or sixty years ago, people in Pakistan had very limited information about life in Europe, the United States and Canada. There was no internet, no social media, and no means through which images, news and personal experiences could travel from one corner of the world to another within seconds. The picture people received of the outside world usually came through films, cinemas, occasional newspaper reports, or someone who returned to Pakistan after spending several years abroad.

Whenever such a person sat among relatives, neighbours or people from the village and began describing life in Europe or America, everyone listened with great interest and amazement. They were told that people there started work on time, left work on time, enjoyed their weekends, travelled to other countries during their annual holidays, ate well, drank well and enjoyed life. These stories created an image of Western life in the minds of people in Pakistan in which comfort, freedom, prosperity and enjoyment appeared to be everywhere.

At that time, many people believed that life in Europe was completely free. They imagined that a person could live according to his own wishes, that nobody interfered with him and that he could spend his earnings as he pleased. At the same time, there were also many people who did not like the idea of moving abroad. They would say that their livelihood, family, community, land and identity were in Pakistan. Why should they leave their homeland to sweep floors, wash dirty dishes, work as labourers in factories, or look after other people’s homes and animals in a foreign country?

Under the circumstances of that period, this attitude was not unnatural. A person generally prefers to remain in an environment where the language, people, customs and identity are familiar. Moving abroad does not simply mean changing a country or crossing a border. It also means adapting one’s entire daily life to a new system, a new language and a new society. Because information was limited, many people heard about the attractive side of life abroad but did not fully understand its difficulties, loneliness, struggles and responsibilities.

As time passed, increasing numbers of people left Pakistan in search of employment, education, business opportunities and a better future in Europe, America, Canada and other countries. After arriving abroad, they encountered the reality that the life they had considered completely free was in fact highly organised and governed by rules.

They had to wake up at a fixed time, reach work punctually, complete their duties within scheduled hours, pay taxes, obey the law, keep official documents in order, and understand the regulations concerning housing, insurance, education and healthcare. Their daily lives had to follow an established system. It was not possible to arrive at work whenever they wished, take leave whenever they felt like it or ignore their responsibilities. Being late, breaking the law or failing to pay bills could have serious consequences.

Many people then realised that the life they had viewed from a distance as freedom was connected at every step with schedules and rules. Some described it as imprisonment by time. They felt that in Europe, a person became a servant of the clock. From morning until evening, life followed work schedules, transport timetables, appointments, bills, official letters and legal requirements. If an appointment was set for ten o’clock, one had to arrive at ten. If an office closed at a certain time, the individual had to adjust to the office hours rather than expecting the office to adjust to personal convenience.

At such moments, they remembered life in Pakistan. They felt that they had been freer there. They could meet friends spontaneously, go to the market whenever they wished or sleep late. If they arrived late somewhere, perhaps an acquaintance would help manage the situation. If a problem arose with a government office, someone they knew might assist them. Life there was more informal, while in Europe many things followed fixed rules and procedures.

Some people worked for several years, saved money and returned to Pakistan. Many others, however, were unable to return permanently. Some married, had children, secured permanent employment or established businesses. For others, legal, family or financial circumstances made returning difficult. As a result, they could visit Pakistan only after two, three, four or five years.

When these people returned to Pakistan, they told relatives and friends that their earlier understanding had been mistaken. They had believed that moving to Europe or America would give them a completely free life, but in reality everyone there was bound by time. Work, rest, appointments, shopping and official matters all followed schedules. In their view, real freedom existed in Pakistan, where people could handle many aspects of life according to their own wishes and convenience.

Yet there was another side to this picture. Those who lived in Europe for many years gradually became accustomed to its system. Buses and trains arriving on time, government institutions working according to established regulations, traffic laws being observed, bills being properly documented, healthcare being organised, educational institutions operating systematically and daily activities being planned in advance all became normal to them.

When they later returned to Pakistan, the same informal way of life that they had once considered freedom began to trouble them. They noticed the lack of punctuality, broken promises, delays in official matters, disorderly traffic and unnecessary obstacles in everyday life. They found themselves in a strange emotional position. While living in Europe, they missed Pakistan, and while visiting Pakistan, they missed the European system.

This is not merely the story of one person or one family. It is a shared human experience of many migrants. A person gradually becomes accustomed to the system, pace and habits of the place where he lives for a long time. After that, he may no longer belong completely to his old environment, yet he cannot forget his roots in the new one. His physical home may be in one country, while his memories, relationships and inner world remain divided among several places.

There is a great difference between the past, the period in between and the present. The world has made extraordinary progress. Technology, the internet, digitalisation and social media have reduced distances. Today, a young person sitting in Pakistan can see the streets, universities, workplaces, markets and daily life of a European city on a mobile phone within seconds. Alongside stories of success, he can also hear about the difficulties faced by those living abroad.

Even so, today’s younger generation still holds many hopes and misunderstandings about life abroad. Many young people in Pakistan say that they possess education, degrees, skills and the willingness to work, but cannot find suitable employment. Even when they find a job, income and expenses often do not remain in balance. They want to move to Europe, America, Canada, Australia or the Gulf countries for a better future, yet visa regulations, financial requirements, legal conditions and limited opportunities stand in their way.

Some young people also say that if their fathers, grandfathers or older brothers had moved to Europe fifty or sixty years ago, it would now be easier for them to migrate and settle there. They feel that the previous generation missed an opportunity and that the present generation is paying the price. They want to escape unemployment, inflation and uncertainty in Pakistan and see life abroad as a path to deliverance.

This raises an important question: can a person truly become completely free by moving to another country? Does freedom mean sleeping whenever one wishes, waking whenever one wishes, working whenever one wishes and setting aside responsibilities whenever one feels like it?

The truth is that such freedom does not exist in any society in the world. As long as a person lives within a society, he remains connected to other people, laws, responsibilities and the consequences of his choices. The complete and unrestricted freedom of one individual may harm the rights, peace or safety of another. This is why every organised society needs rules and boundaries.

The purpose of life is not merely to satisfy immediate desires. A meaningful life includes hard work, responsibility, respect for time, earning a livelihood, caring for one’s family, respecting the rights of others and planning for the future. Punctuality does not make a person a prisoner; it makes him reliable. Obeying the law does not destroy freedom; it protects the freedom of every citizen.

A person living in a country also has a responsibility to learn its language, understand its laws and become familiar with its social customs. This is not only a duty but also a basic condition for success. Many Pakistanis overlook this aspect after arriving abroad. They want employment, security, opportunities and a better future, but do not want to change their habits, attitudes or daily behaviour. Such an expectation is not realistic.

Migration is not merely a passport and an aeroplane journey. It demands mental flexibility, patience, a willingness to learn and the ability to understand a new environment. A person who does not learn the language, sees the law only as a burden and considers every new rule an attack on personal freedom may find life abroad extremely difficult. A person who understands discipline, fulfils responsibilities and tries to become part of the new society is more likely to live successfully and with satisfaction.

This does not mean that Europe or America is free from problems. High living costs, unemployment, loneliness, psychological pressure, social distance, discrimination, family breakdown and workplace stress can exist there as well. Not everyone succeeds. Some people spend decades abroad and still feel like strangers. They miss their homeland, language, family and social relationships.

Nor is it correct to say that Pakistan consists only of problems. Family, personal closeness, emotional attachment, social support and cultural familiarity are valuable aspects of life there. In difficult times, family and friends may provide a kind of support that is not always easily available in more individualised societies.

However, we must distinguish between freedom and disorder. If an office does not function on time, promises are not fulfilled, the law is not applied equally or important matters cannot be completed without personal contacts and recommendations, this cannot be called freedom. It is an unreliable system whose disorder may benefit powerful people while harming ordinary citizens.

In the same way, we must distinguish between discipline and imprisonment. If a bus arrives on time, a doctor sees patients at the appointed hour, a court decides according to law, an employee works punctually and institutions fulfil their responsibilities, this is not imprisonment. It is collective responsibility. In such a system, individuals must accept certain rules, but in return they receive security, reliability and convenience.

The real issue is therefore not simply whether a person lives in Pakistan or Europe. The real question is whether the system in which he lives offers him a fair opportunity in return for his work. Does the law apply equally to everyone? Are education, healthcare and employment accessible? Can a person progress according to his abilities? Does he receive dignity and protection?

People often want to escape their circumstances and begin to believe that their present conditions are their entire life. They imagine that changing countries will make all their difficulties disappear. In reality, this rarely happens. Moving to another place may remove some problems, but new ones usually appear. In Pakistan, unemployment may be a major problem, while in Europe language barriers, loneliness and social acceptance may become new challenges. In one place, the weakness of the law causes frustration; in another, the strictness of the law may feel burdensome.

Life is a continuous balance between complete freedom and complete restriction. Every human being needs the right to make certain decisions independently, but must also accept the consequences of those decisions. A person needs the freedom to pursue dreams, but must work for them. He has the right to expect a better society, but must also contribute to its rules and responsibilities.

There is freedom in Europe and America, but there are also problems. Pakistan also contains forms of freedom as well as difficulties. The difference is not limited to land, weather, buildings or roads. It lies in systems, laws, opportunities and collective behaviour. In a society where laws are strong, institutions are reliable and time is valued, the life of an ordinary person may be safer and more organised. In a society where family bonds, social closeness and mutual support are stronger, a person may receive more emotional comfort.

Perhaps the best life is one that combines the discipline, legal order and sense of responsibility found in Western societies with the warmth, relationships and humanity of one’s own culture. Instead of treating one world as a complete paradise and the other as a complete hell, we need to learn from both.

It would not be realistic to discourage young people from going abroad. The pursuit of better education, employment and a secure future is the right of every human being. But they must understand that life abroad is not an entertainment film. Success requires language, skills, respect for the law, hard work, patience and punctuality. At the same time, people living in Pakistan should understand that calling disorder freedom is a form of self-deception.

Real freedom means that a person can make lawful decisions about his own life, progress through his work, protect his family and avoid being dependent on the mercy of powerful individuals or a failing system. Real freedom always includes responsibility. Freedom without responsibility quickly turns into disorder, while excessive restrictions can suppress human personality.

Europe is therefore not a land of complete freedom, and Pakistan is not a complete prison. Not every form of disorder in Pakistan is freedom, and not every rule in Europe is imprisonment. The truth lies between these two extremes.

Before judging a country, a society or a system, a person should consider not only its attractive images but also the price behind them. Every reliable service depends on organisation, work and responsibility. Every freedom has a limit, and every right is accompanied by a duty.

Perhaps the beauty of life lies in the fact that a person neither runs away from responsibility nor gives up legitimate freedom. Wherever he lives, he should respect the law, value time, earn his livelihood with dignity, continue learning and consider the rights of others as important as his own freedom.

On the day human beings stop confusing freedom with disorder and discipline with imprisonment, they may also understand that the real question is not only which country we live in, but also with what attitude, sense of responsibility and character we choose to live our lives.

Shahid Shakil

2026-07-16