Yaar Imran bhai, I don't get it either ! I've got something like 20 people who can be called 'my immediate family' who are either living in KSA or the UAE (Dubai) and they've been there for the better part of 3 decades ! If I were to add the number of people I do know as my (and my father's) friends and acquaintances that number would probably rise to around a 100 or so people and I honestly can't recall any of them talking bad about 'their life' in Saudi Arabia ! In fact the only thing that they're ever angry about is the strictness when it comes to carrying at all times something they called as the 'Akamaa' and that even after so many years they haven't been offered citizenship ! Those two things genuinely piss them off but otherwise they've got good stable jobs, no law and order problems, their children are getting pretty good education and they, all in all, are enjoying their stay over there. Balkee abhi pichleee haftee hee meraaa dost 'electrical engineering' kar keh...eik do internships kar keh Saudia Arabia ke liyee niklaaa hai aur uss ke abu wahaan pehlee se heee 10 saaal se kaaam kar rahein hain ! I dunno if I had been abused and treated like dirt...I wouldn't ask my son to come over ! Uppar se bachaaa khaasaa laik thaaa aur kahin aur bhi nikaal saktaaa thaa !
well educated and well-to-do Pakistanis have it easy in the gulf and are often looked up to. A neighbour of ours was a business contractor and he was working directly with some sheikhs; there are many stories of rich Pakistanis making a good name for themselves and of course making good money in those countries
but majority of the Pakistanis in these countries are just labourers working hard to make a buck and send back home. They live in compounds, packed like sardines.
UAE has been starting to take the whole "labor rights" thing seriously.....on extremely hot summer days, they are told not to work. Pay and conditions slightly increased.
still you hear about workers committing suicide sometimes (which is never a solution, it's a cowards way out). But then sometimes you'll hear about workers who made enough money, went home to their beloved country and then set up small business.
i hail from FATA, many of the people have relatives who are working in Dubai, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia.......in the past, some of the homes had no air conditioner just one panka and one tiny television. Worker sent home money and now some of the homes have AC, nice television, and other such things.
our economy is not in the greatest shape nowdays, Pakistan's macroeconomic stability partly relies on these expatriate (remittances) earnings being sent back to Pakistan. I believe remittances nowdays are highest they have ever been.
so once again --- these "miskeen" may be mistreated and living in a shyt condition. But they are doing a very honourable thing for themselves and especially their families. Hopefully Pakistan side will have more respect for its own people and stand up for their rights in these foreign countries.
NGOs, unions and activist groups should be allowed to represent them and ensure that their human rights are not trampled on
otherwise as Imran bhai suggested, they have option to leave and come home