One of the most important issues in our lives, as also to the rest of the world, is that of migration – both inward and outward – depending on economic well-being. We in Lahore, like the rest of our cities, are concerned about losing our best.

The West is concerned about the numbers heading their way. In a column like this one we can simply analyse on a micro level, hoping that it represents the full picture. So let me narrate the stories of five families, three from Lahore and two from Gujrat. Naturally, to be honest we will first concentrate on our own wider family. In this some principles, let alone reasons for migrating, might emerge.

My father was the only son of his father, the reason being that my grandfather was killed in a horse fall as Zaildar of Ferozepur in 1921. So, to her father’s house in Kucha Chabakswaran inside Mochi Gate returned my grandmother and her one-year-old son. Sadly, her three sisters also returned home, with two facing divorces and the fourth never married.

The only asset of the walled city well-off was a fine education. My father and his three cousins were all highly educated. Three went to England to do their PhDs while the fourth joined the air force. Each has a different story. But let me concentrate on my family.

My father married an English lady and had eight children; five boys and three girls. Of the eight siblings two have passed away because of Lahore’s health system and mind you no stone was left unturned. Of the six left – four brothers and two sisters – four are living permanently abroad while a sister and a brother remain. We will analyse at the end the reasons for this migration of one middle-class family.

Now let me move on to the family of a relative. This family owned one of the largest cutlery shops in Anarkali and were, in their days, considered a rich family, let alone pious and reasonably educated. The grand old man had six children, three have passed away – two males and a female remain. The children of the remaining have all migrated to the USA.

Now let me skip on to a dear friend from my GC days who once lived in the walled city. They were six members – three each. Two of these six have migrated to Europe and the USA. Now let me go on to a property dealer who lives inside Bhati Gate. He has five children, three boys and two girls. Two of his sons have moved abroad, one to the Middle East and one to UK. One daughter is married to a gent in the Middle East.

Let me also mention our driver Imran from a village near Jhelum. He came to our house aged eight, in a dirty vest and shalwar and rubber slippers. He worked hard, lived with us and within six months he was better dressed than us. He learnt to drive, let alone cook and clean and today he is in Saudi Arabia, a heavy-duty truck driver. He has built a posh house, probably the finest in his village and now keeps writing in on his laptop requesting that we help him migrate to Canada.

Now let me tell you about Pakistanis I met while once visiting Italy. As I roamed the streets of Firenze (the beautiful Florence) I came across a group from Gujrat. All of them worked in a leather shoe factory, and most of them were there illegally.

As we stood talking in Punjabi, suddenly they all ran into different streets. They had spotted two policemen coming, who walked on as if nothing had happened. Once the police were out of sight they returned. As we conversed they told me that every month they send home over Rs 100,000 each to their families. With devaluation of the rupee, they probably send home much more.

So, we have a fair idea of how Lahore is being affected by the current migration trend. Research carried out in Lahore’s walled city came up with this amazing figure that every third house from a sample size of 150 houses has one or more males going abroad. Just how many settle permanently we do not know, but the fact remains that a sizeable chunk of ‘educated’ persons leave their city and families and country.

To have a larger look at how these hardworking persons benefit Pakistan’s economy, I went to Wikipedia and was amazed that the UNO figures say that Pakistan has the sixth largest diaspora in the world, who each year send (2021 figure) US$33 billion a year and growing. Mind you the total export earnings in 2021-22 was US$31.7 billion.

It is very clear that the poor of our land who work abroad day and night and send home all their earnings are the ones who keep Pakistan running. In short the poor earn so that the rich can get richer, with most never returning their loans fully, and they keep going with even bigger loans. We all are aware of who these influential loan-getters are.

What is needed now is for Pakistan to invest more and more in technical education, from training persons as plumbers and carpenters to electricians etc. Also, computer engineers are badly needed, for the country and abroad. Yes, corruption does eat up most of such genuine earnings, but we see that traders and the rich love to live in Lahore, with ‘foreign holidays’ a must for them.

This is a tricky subject, but the fact remains that these ‘overseas Pakistanis’ as they are referred to, are looked down upon by our ruling classes - the government ‘servants’, armed and otherwise, and politicians – officially they are not supposed to be referred to as servants. How dare!! Yet in times of need it are these very ‘overseas patriots’ who save our cities and country.

At the end of this piece let us return to the walled city to examine just how has walled city life changed. In our youth breakfast was invariably purchased from the local shop, the ‘tandoor’ for ‘kulchas’ and milk shops providing ‘dahi’, or on a Sunday it was ‘Halwa Puri’. As I walked through the streets it was amazing to see so many bakeries, shops that were once looked down upon. Eating bread for breakfast was a foreign concept.

Life inside the old city has also changed, for now people are taking to toast and eggs, though ‘dahi kulcha’ remains a favourite, but given inflation it has taken a dent. The old delicacies are more difficult to find, and the new foods are making an appearance.

These are undeniable facts, little that former old city dwellers do not like them. That most have left is because of a lack of opportunity. But then there is no doubt that whatever little progress this country is making is because of these hardworking honest ‘overseas Pakistanis’ and not the rich bankers or industrialists who even wish to export the scarce sugar made locally. Sadly, weak governments are backed by the ‘armed’ rich.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2023