Pakistani youth in UAE feel homesick during Independence Day

Maliha Sohail (left) and Moadab Khan

Pakistani youth in the UAE enjoy celebrating their country's Independence Day, but they also miss the fireworks and festivities that light up their home country during this occasion.

Moadab Khan has lived in the UAE for 15 years, and she and her family get together with friends in the UAE to celebrate the day. However, she said she can never forget how lit up Pakistan is during this time.

The 15-year-old said she will be singing Pakistan's national anthem with friends and family in Sharjah.

"It's really fun celebrating Independence Day with my friends and family here (in Sharjah). We always invite so many guests and we also go out and sing the national anthem together. It's really nice," she said.
 
"But celebrating the Independence Day in Pakistan is also very nice. I really miss it. The whole country is filled with lights and is shining. There's fireworks and everyone is out on the streets celebrating. You can really feel the high spirits."
 
One Pakistani, Maliha Sohail, said she misses the "high energy" that takes over the Pakistan when it is August 14.
 
Sohail, a 21-year-old expat in Sharjah, said that celebrating the day in the UAE is "also fun", but in Pakistan it's on "another level".
 
"The Independence Day in your own country would obviously be more hyped up. But in the UAE, it's also not that bad. There are so many Pakistanis that live here and they all have small groups that get together and celebrate," she said.
 
"In Pakistan, though, there are so many lights, Pakistani sweets and small flags all over the country that creates that vibe - which is also lovely."
 
Another Pakistani expat, Anam Saif, said that she tries to recreate the atmosphere that would be seen in Pakistan during Independence Day.
 
"I light up our house and we bring lots of sweets. We invite as many guests as we can and sing Pakistani songs and the national anthem," she said.
 
"I think it's important to celebrate the Independence Day properly if you are living abroad because it shows the future generation that celebrating the freedom of your country is important. A lot of heroes worked hard to get our country where it is today and the Independence needs to be celebrated. It sends a good message to your children and everyone else."
 
Meanwhile, one Pakistani expat in Sharjah does not know how Pakistan's Independence Day is celebrated other than in the UAE.
 
Anam Khan, 18, said that she has never been to Pakistan during this occasion and wishes to do so one day.
 
Khan said: "I wish to go one day and see how it is celebrated there. We celebrate it here with my family and friends and we really enjoy it."
 
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com