r/Overseas_Pakistani

sister's shaadi next month. $3,800 USD across three sends so ammi could hit abid market cash in hand and haggle with the gold shopkeepers. Her plan: "just use western union like last time."

Last time was eight years ago. Bhai I was 22 and didn't know any better.

Before hitting send I actually compared PKR received across western union online and three apps. The gap between the best option and WU was 28,000 PKR. On one set of sends. That's a whole extra jewelry piece my sister gets to keep instead of feeding it to some bank's forex desk.

Ammi still doesn't trust apps. Sister had to show her the easypaisa notification three separate times before she accepted the money was actually there. Shopping went fine, she haggled, matching set got bought. Crisis averted.

Curious how other folks handle the big shaadi sends. Do you do it all at once or spread across a few days?

Most of us left Pakistan with a very specific picture in our heads.

The street you grew up on. The smell of rain on hot concrete. The chai at the same dhaba every morning. Neighbors who knew your name. A pace of life that was chaotic but somehow familiar and comforting.

That Pakistan felt like home. This one — the one on the news, the one relatives describe, the one you see on your visits — sometimes feels like a different country wearing the same name.

So the honest question is — are you returning to a real place, or to a memory?

And even if you made peace with the fact that Pakistan has changed — there's another fear nobody really talks about openly.

Are you afraid of integrating back?

Not the paperwork, not the logistics. The social reintegration. Walking into a room full of relatives and feeling like a guest in your own family. Your cousins have inside jokes you don't get. Your siblings have friendships, routines and a whole life you were never part of. You laugh a little too loud, dress slightly differently, have opinions that make the room go quiet.

You're family — but you're also somehow the expat cousin.

And it goes both ways. Does your family back home still treat you as one of their own — or has the distance quietly changed that too? Are you the one they're proud of, or the one who left? Sometimes both at the same time.

Some returnees say it took them a full year to stop feeling like a foreigner in their own country. Others say they never fully shook that feeling and came back abroad.

Has anyone here actually gone through this? Did you ever feel truly home again — or is home now somewhere in between?

I don't usually post things like this. But I've been watching this situation for months and I can't stay quiet anymore.

A close friend of mine lost his brother, Sakhawat, not long ago. Sakhawat was one of those people you don't forget. quiet, sharp sense of humour, never a harsh word for anyone. I studied alongside him for 8 years. Not once did I hear him speak badly about a single person. He came from a family that left everything behind, moved from a remote area, and built their life with nothing but hard work and integrity. That's the kind of household this was. And sakhawat was fightinh rear type colon cancer for 4 years and documented some part of it here: https://www.instagram.com/sakhawatay/ .

His younger brother Sharafat is also so good and muture at yang age. coz i think he have seen alot stuff, coz idk how he handle all this with patiace fr. And now he is the sole responsible person in that family. He has major exams right now. That's the situation a grieving family, one son carrying everything, and he can't even fully process his loss because he's trying to hold the family together.

Here's what's happening.

A woman named Kainat Ansari that as get in tuch with him in june july after knowing about his cancer and he was in hopital uk, she was in usa, all intaction haopped on call mostly they met few times, and she has been using Sakhawat's name, his story, and content to build a public narrative on Instagram. She is actively collecting donations including USD from international followers, including people connected to Harvard using his identity and his memory as leverage.

The family has not authorized any of this. Not a single post. Not a single fundraiser. Not a single use of his name.

She has blocked the family. She has built a following around this story. And she is using the goodwill of people who genuinely loved Sakhawat or who are simply good-hearted people moved her narative and by grief to collect money.

The family does not want a public fight. They do not want legal chaos. Sharafat has exams. They are trying to survive right now, not go to war. But I could not watch this continue without at least documenting it and putting it in front of people who deserve to know.

I sat with Sharafat and convinced him to document everything. That document is here :

Full Documentation — Names, Timeline, Evidence

Her Instagram is here:

instagram.com/kainatannsari

What I'm asking from this community:

Always Good-hearted people are being used. That's what hurts most. People who follow her, who donate, who share her content they think they're honouring someone's memory. They're not. They're funding someone who blocked the actual family of the person she claims to represent.

If you've donated, please know that money did not reach Sakhawat's family.

If you follow her, please read the document before deciding whether to continue.

And if you believe, as I do, that using a dead person's identity and story without family consent to collect real money from real people is fraud please report her account on Instagram.

To report on Instagram:

1. Go to her profile → tap the three dots (⋯)
2. Select Report
3. Select "It's a scam or fraud" or "False information"

I'm not posting this for drama. I'm posting this because Sakhawat deserved better than to have his name used as a fundraising tool. His family deserves peace. And the people donating deserve the truth.

That's all.

Feel free to ask questions in the comments. I'll answer what I can. i will tell Sharafat about this post. Coz He asked me not to make things worse I'm trying to make things right at least i think i hope I'm not overreacting.

Updating this because app coverage has shifted in the last year and the same questions keep coming up in this sub. From 4 major sending countries, here's what works for easypaisa and jazzcash delivery in 2026.

From US: taptapsend us to pakistan supports both easypaisa and jazzcash direct, $1.99 fee under $200, no fee above, delivery 15 to 40 minutes usually. Remitly us to pakistan supports both, $3.99 under $1000 waived above. Wise us to pakistan does not support mobile wallets, bank deposit only. Rules wise out if your family is on easypaisa or jazzcash.

From UK: taptapsend uk to pakistan supports both wallets, £0.99 fee under £125, no fee above. Remitly uk to pakistan supports both. Wise uk to pakistan bank only. From Canada: taptapsend canada to pakistan supports both, fee structure with small charge under $CAD threshold, no fee above. Remitly canada to pakistan supports both. Wise still bank only.

From UAE: taptapsend uae to pakistan supports both, AED 6 fee under AED 700, no fee above. Remitly uae to pakistan supports both. Wise uae to pakistan bank only.

Worth noting taptapsend had a temporary service pause in the UAE in october 2025 for system upgrades but resumed operations, so check current availability if you're sending from dubai or abu dhabi.

Name matching on jazzcash and easypaisa is strict. CNIC registered name must match the sender's recipient field exactly. Nicknames cause holds. Phone number format varies (+92 3XX XXXXXXX vs 03XX XXXXXXX), app typically tells you which format to use.

14 months of data. Support parents in karachi and in laws in lahore, combined ~$900 monthly sent as two separate transfers from my US chase account. Both receiving sides use jazzcash for mobile money, only pull to bank when needed.

taptapsend us to pakistan jazzcash delivery, no fee above $200 (both sends are $450 each so above threshold), rate runs a couple of rupees per dollar better than my old wire option. Across 14 months: average delivery time to jazzcash 18 minutes, fastest 4 minutes, slowest 47 minutes. Remitly us to pakistan jazzcash delivery, $3.99 fee waived above $1000 but I'm under, average delivery 25 minutes. Worldremit us to pakistan jazzcash, $2 to $4 fee, average delivery 35 minutes.

On $450 sends taptapsend typically delivers 800 to 1500 more PKR than remitly because the fee differential compounds with the rate. Worldremit comes in third consistently. Wise doesn't support jazzcash at all for pakistan.

Western union us to pakistan with cash pickup is the most expensive option by a wide margin. Western union online option from a bank account is cheaper than their in person but still loses to apps on total PKR delivered.

For urgent sends (medical, emergency), taptapsend has been the most consistently fast to jazzcash in my tracking. If you need money to hit a family member's phone in under 30 minutes, it's the reliable option. Keep at least one other app installed as backup because any single app can have transient issues.

Nobody talks about this one openly. But I think it quietly lives in the back of every overseas Pakistani's mind.

You moved abroad for opportunity, for a better life, for your kids' future. And it made sense at the time. But somewhere along the way your parents got older. The video calls started showing more grey hair, slower movement, a tiredness in their eyes that wasn't there before.

And you're still here. Thousands of miles away.

For a lot of us the deal was always "I'll go back when the time is right." But the time never feels right. There's always one more year of saving, one more school year to finish, one more promotion to wait for. And meanwhile they're getting older every single day without you there.

Some of us fly back as often as we can afford to. Some send money and tell ourselves that counts. Some have moved parents over abroad which solves the distance but creates its own complicated guilt — uprooting a 70 year old from everything they know. Some have siblings back home and quietly rely on them carrying the load, which creates a whole different kind of guilt.

And some of us have already lost a parent while being abroad — and carry that weight in a way that never fully goes away.

There's no clean answer to this one. But I think pretending it doesn't hurt is worse than talking about it.

How do you handle it? Have you found anything that actually helps — or is this just the price we pay for the life we chose?

Hi all,

It may sound off-topic. I live in uk and looking for options to invest in psx. What brokerage is good for overseas? Looking for something suitable for overseas Pakistanis in terms of Online/digital platform.

Slight edit: I have already opened RDA I am confused sbout brokerage.

[supprimé]

Hi everyone,

I’m an overseas British Pakistani and visit Pakistan a few times a year. During my last trip, I received a message saying my phone service would be disrupted from March 2026 onward due to DIRBS registration. However, I had already left Pakistan in late February.

I’m planning to visit again in the next couple of weeks, and now I’m worried my phone may stop working or get blocked. I already use a Pakistani SIM registered in my name, and I’ve never had this issue before, so the message confused me a bit.

I’d really prefer not to buy a second phone just to use hotspot/Wi-Fi while visiting.

Can someone explain how this actually works for overseas Pakistanis?

• Do I need to pay the PTA/DIRBS tax to keep using my phone?
• Is there any grace period for visitors?
• Does leaving and re-entering Pakistan reset anything?
• Any workaround or advice from people who travel frequently?

Also, the DIRBS website apparently doesn’t work outside Pakistan, which makes this even more confusing.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Ya picture abhi Baki he?

What do you think?

Hello, currently looking at investing in Goldcrest Dha Phase 2 Islamabad. What do u guys think? I live in a country where they dont give citizenship so in future if I have to leave at least I will have a house I can go back to. I have enough money to buy it fully through my savings. What do u guys think? I see so many negativity abt Pakistan everyday Is it really that bad? I left Pakistan in 2013 and have been there 2 to 3 times since then. Please give honest advice

I know this is not a Canadian sub but just looking for people from Toronto to suggest things to do esp the must try food 🤩

Traveling next week on a very short trip and don’t want to miss out on the good stuff there 😀

I did a small $100 USD transfer from my UAE bank account to my Standard Chartered Roshan Digital Account in Pakistan to test the overall process before sending larger amounts.

The transfer completed successfully, but only $85 was credited to the RDA account.

I’m trying to understand whether this is considered normal for USD SWIFT transfers to Pakistan or if something unusual happened.

A few questions for people regularly using the RDA account:

• What fees are normally deducted from incoming USD transfers?
• Are intermediary/correspondent bank charges common?
• Does Standard Chartered charge inward remittance fees on RDA?
• Were any of you able to receive the full amount with OUR charges selected?
• Is there any tax deduction involved on incoming USD transfers to RDA?
• Is there a way to see the complete SWIFT fee trail or MT103 details?

I intentionally sent a small amount first just to test:

• transfer speed
• exchange handling
• hidden fees
• actual credited amount

Would appreciate hearing real experiences from people actively using RDA from UAE.

Thanks.

My passport’s expiring in a few months, and I need to travel later this year.

I was thinking of applying online as the closest consulate is a 3-hour flight. But I’ve been hearing some horror stories lately of not getting/delayed passports.

I have some extra time so not gonna take the urgent route. Do you think it’s worth applying online?

Is there anyone who recently renewed their passport in the US?

Hey everyone. I need some harsh reality checks and practical advice.

I’m a 21M from Pakistan. About a year and a half ago, I dropped out of my Bachelor's (CS) at a local university. I had this grand vision of building digital businesses and hustling, but I ended up falling into severe depression and overthinking. Alhamdulillah, I’ve recovered, locked back in, and I’m actively building tech/AI skills now, but my academic record is a mess.

Because of my mental health and dropping out, my transcript from that university shows a GPA of <1.0. I recently took the SAT a couple of times but couldn't break past 840. Transferring to a decent 4-year US university right now is basically impossible. Meanwhile, my old batchmates are graduating next year. It stings, but I absolutely refuse to finish my Bachelor's in Pakistan. I need to study abroad.

My Plan A (USA):
My main priority is getting into a US Community College (looking at Lone Star or HCC in Texas), putting my head down for 2 years, and then transferring to a 4-year university (like Univ. of Houston).

The problem: I am terrified of the F-1 visa interview. I’m seeing high-achieving Pakistani students with full scholarships to prestigious universities getting rejected. What are the actual chances for a 21-year-old dropout with a 2-year gap and a low GPA applying to a CC? How do I even justify this to a Visa Officer without sounding like a flight risk?

Plan B (Ireland & Five Eyes):
I cannot put all my eggs in the US basket. If the US visa is a lost cause, I am completely open to Canada, Australia, UK, New Zealand, or Ireland. I know Ireland accepts Duolingo and has Level 6 (diploma/college) courses. Australia and UK are options, but my 2-year gap might be a red flag for their Genuine Student tests.

My questions for you:

1. How do I strategically explain my university dropout and gap years to the US Visa Officer without getting an instant 214(b) rejection?
2. Is US Community College even worth the visa risk right now for a Pakistani male, or should I immediately pivot my time and money to Ireland/Australia/Canada?
3. Has anyone here successfully navigated a similar "academic bankruptcy/dropout" situation as an international student?
   I’m ready to grind and do the hard work. I just need to know which wall to push against. Any advice from overseas Pakistanis, international students, or visa experts would be deeply appreciated.

Guys, I am American, trying to get a car in Pakistan like Toyota 1-1.2cr etc. If anyone has bought a car. How was your experience or anything I need to know. Please advise, feedback or anything in general.

Have any of you ever used the PakID app to apply for a CNIC /NICOP online? Or you went to the local Embassy to get it done? Any leads would be appreciated. Thanks!