It isn't easy to be a citizen of Pakistan living nowadays anywhere in the world. Everywhere you are considered if not a terrorist then at least a sympathizer of Osama bin Laden. Not surprising that so many people born in Pakistan and living abroad have decided to return home together with their assets. At the same time their country of origin needs investments in order to be able to keep non-increasing the gap of power abilities between it and its regional nemesis India. The race for foreign investments in East and South Asia that have roots in the years after the WWI, may lead to changes in these regions that are hard to understand.

Many people born in Pakistan feel uncomfortable these days because of their country of origin. Despite the fact that there were many Pakistanis buried under the rubbles of the WTC in NYC, despite the fact that many real terrorists since were caught only because of the cooperation of Islamabad, the Western public opinion created this new stereotype, putting sign of equality between Pakistanis and terrorists. So it isn't surprising that many Pakistanis living abroad decided to return home or at least to prepare their ultimate return by buying cheaper real estates. The result was an unprecedented appreciation of the land for development in Lahore and Karachi since the end of 2001. In some places the happy first-come-first-served investors report 10-12-fold appreciation during the last 36 months.

Pakistan in general is among the least developed countries in the world, but that is only one side of the story. This country needs modernization, not exactly copying the Western models, but nonetheless attracting foreign investments in order to diversify the local economy that is still based on three main pillars like in 1947 when the country was born out of partition of the former British colonial territories. Textiles, leather and sport goods still account for 75% of the export and the taxes. The former feudal landlords still keep considerable political power by aligning themselves with the military regimes. But all this is doomed, Pakistan as we know it will cease to exist in 20-30 years from now.

The domino effect of modernization in Asia that started 50 years ago with the first mass injections into the Japanese textile industry by the Americans will continue its pace into Pakistan, not because the local elites favor modernization but because without it they won't be able to compete regionally with India, their longtime nemesis. Returning home Pakistanis will play special role in this process of modernization. Most of these "dollar people" have been no part of the traditional political and economic elites. They are bringing with them 9-5 working schedule, work-mall-home shopping habits, social and political rights, and the idea of constant social changes as something desirable. In fact they will claim chunks of the economic and political power and why not more than just chunks. This society 20-30 years from now will look very different from our today's stereotypes.

Pakistan - country profile:
(with comparative data from India)

• Area: 803,940 sq km
• Climate: mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north
• Natural hazards: frequent earthquakes, flooding
• Population: 159,196,336 (July 2004 est.)
• Population growth rate: 1.98% (1,44% in India) (2004 est.)
• Net migration rate: -2.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
• Life expectancy at birth: 62.61 years (63.99 in India)
• Total fertility rate: 4.29 children born/woman (2.85 in India) (2004 est.)
• Religions: Muslim 97% (Sunni 77%, Shi'a 20%)
• Literacy: 45.7% (59.5% in India)
• GDP per capita (purchasing power parity): $2,100 ($2,900 in India) (2004 est.)
• Population below poverty line: 35% (25% in India) (2004 est.)
• Labor force by occupation: agriculture 44%, industry 17%, services 39% (1999 est.)
• Main trading partners: UAE, USA, EU countries, China, Japan.
• Internet users: 1.5 million (2002)

(Source: CIA - The World Factbook)

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See also the directory of companies providing real estate services in, and general real estate information of Pakistan.