The Pakistani dream is not a white picket fence. It’s a business plan drawn up on a napkin over tandoori chai.
There is an incredible entrepreneurial energy here. It feels like everyone is trying to turn the mundane into a venture. Ideas on how to scale a business usually involve economies of scale or leveraging the sheer amount of human resources available. It’s a mix of brilliance and necessity, a consequence of the struggle for employment, sure, but also a refusal to sit still.
A Land of Contradictions
It’s a land of beautiful contradictions. There is a massive disconnect between the extreme hospitality you receive face-to-face and the absolute lack of empathy on the roads. The Pakistani Dream involves owning a big 4x4 or a German car to command respect, while rushing to be somewhere. Time is also a funny concept. Everyone is rushing to be somewhere, yet nobody leaves on time. But when they finally arrive, there is always time for chai.
The daily hustle: a method to the madness.
From the “gas sucker” pumps people invent to pull natural gas into their homes during shortages, to the sudden explosion of AI-generated art by people just looking for a win, the hustle is real. There is a method to the madness behind this Pakistani Dream, and it is fascinating to watch.
Riding the Wave
The Pakistani Dream is also about riding the wave of the next big thing. Trends here skyrocket and crash soon after. One month it’s Kebabjees, the next it’s a specific Chai spot with live Qawalli, or it’s the endless coffee pop-ups with their extra something beyond the others.
I found out in my recent trip that another trend lately is running. The running scene is wrapped in the Pakistani Dream too, complete with odd sponsorships (Flower shops and Sufi cooking oil).
And that’s just it. The dream isn’t about doing just one thing. It is about diversification. Why specialize in just one field when you can learn about lots of different domains and work with manufacturers in those fields? The mindset is about being versed in lots of topics enough to do business well enough in them. You don’t need to be the sole expert. You just need to know the right people to connect you. It is about economies of scale and having the confidence to launch ventures in any industry you touch.
The scenic beauty of the capital.
Is it all perfect? No. The entrepreneurial brain sometimes scales down to places it shouldn’t. I saw the “manufactured chaos” at airports where queues are messed up just so porters can offer to “queue jump” you for a fee (preferably in “Baji’s country currency ££” when they saw Kate with me).
The Soul of the Dream
But then, you find the soul of the dream. I went to Masjid Wazir Khan and saw the artists and restorers preserving the inner city. I met Mr. Fareed at Lok Virsa, who made truck art for Queen Elizabeth II, still selling his craft with pride.
The Pakistani Dream is, at its core, the sheer will to survive even when things look bleak. And that is something worth celebrating ❤️