Hope for a better life is rapidly fading in Pakistan, driving many to risk their lives in a desperate bid to leave. Some are even willing to face death to reach Europe.

According to reports, a boat carrying 63 Pakistanis capsized off the coast of Libya on February 10, 2025. Sixteen bodies have been recovered, while many remain missing. This tragedy follows another incident last month when a boat with 80 passengers sank near Morocco. At least 13 Pakistanis were confirmed dead, while over 40 were reportedly killed by African human traffickers, leaving only 22 survivors.

In 2024 alone, the Mediterranean claimed over 2,200 migrant lives, with nearly 1,700 fatalities along the central Mediterranean route. Pakistan remains among the top five countries contributing to these perilous crossings, with actual migrant deaths likely in the hundreds, if not higher.

The urge to leave is fueled by worsening economic conditions. According to BBC News, with inflation very high and the Pakistani rupee plummeting, many seek opportunities abroad where even a low salary surpasses domestic earnings. A recent survey found that 62% of boys and young men aged 15-24 wish to leave. While some attempt legal migration, others turn to dangerous, illegal routes.

Seventy-seven years after its creation, Pakistan’s poor remain deprived of financial stability, education, security, and equal rights. Even basic necessities like clean air and drinking water are scarce. UNICEF reports that 53,000 children die annually from diarrhea caused by contaminated water.

The literacy rate stands at 62.8%, with a stark gender gap—73% for men and only 52.84% for women, dropping to 25% in rural areas. Additionally, 25.3 million children aged 5 to 16 are out of school, with 79% never enrolling and 21% dropping out. Environmental pollution further compounds the crisis.

Between 2019 and August 2024, 3.275 million Pakistanis officially emigrated, while thousands more left through illegal means. These grim statistics underscore the mass exodus of Pakistanis who prefer risking death over enduring the hardships at home.

Condolences are not enough. Real action is needed. The government must crack down on traffickers and address the root causes—poverty, unemployment, lack of education, and failing institutions—pushing thousands to flee. Until then, desperation will persist, and the Mediterranean will continue swallowing dreams and lives.

Meanwhile, as ordinary Pakistanis risk death at sea, the ruling elite thrives in luxury. The political class that has failed to provide jobs, education, and security remains untouched. The judiciary, parliament, executive, and media all remain under the grip of those who have monopolized power for decades.

To protect their unchecked power and corruption, Pakistan’s ruling elite swiftly amend or pass laws, such as the 26th Amendment to subjugate the judiciary and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) to silence dissent and control the media. Journalists who expose the truth face harassment, exile, or even death. Meanwhile, parliamentarians approve lavish salary increases, raising their monthly pay to Rs519,000, while their housing, security, vehicles, and utilities remain subsidized. Their power is absolute—those who dare to challenge it face suffering and even death.

Pakistan has become a wasteland for the poor and helpless, a place where hope withers, much like in T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, where a shattered world offers no promise of revival. The villages and cities echo with silent despair as families bid farewell to loved ones, uncertain if they will ever return. Clinging to the illusion of a better future beyond the sea, many believe that somewhere, a land exists where dignity, prosperity, and survival are possible. But their fragile dreams are shattered when their loved ones return—not in triumph, but in coffins.

To maintain control, the ruling elite instill fear, introducing harsh laws and unleashing brutal police crackdowns. As Eliot wrote, “I will show you fear in a handful of dust.” This fear is not just metaphorical—it is the daily reality of ordinary Pakistanis, trapped in an economy that has pushed 40% of the population below the poverty line. Deceived by the empty promises of those in power, the people have lost faith in their words.

“The corpse you planted last year in your garden,

Has it begun to sprout? Will it bloom this year?” (The Waste Land)

The seeds of change remain buried under corruption and misrule. The hopes of a thriving nation have failed to blossom. Disillusioned and weary, the youth seek escape rather than reform. Terrorism, hunger, and illiteracy plague the country, yet the people remain paralyzed, resigned to a fate dictated by those in power. This mirrors the existential inertia of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, where characters wait endlessly for a change that never comes.

“What are we waiting for?”

“Nothing. We’re waiting for Godot.”

Pakistanis, too, have been conditioned to wait—waiting for a leader, a military intervention, judicial independence, or an Islamic revolution. Yet, like Godot, salvation never arrives. The ruling elite perpetuate this cycle of false hope to keep the masses passive and subservient.

Canadian writer Heidi Priebe wisely states, “If there’s one thing we all need to stop doing, it’s waiting around for someone else to show up and change our lives. Just be the person you’ve been waiting for.”

Pakistanis must take this to heart. Waiting for a savior is futile. Only collective action and self-empowerment can dismantle the entrenched systems of exploitation. By uniting and demanding accountability, the people can forge a path toward a just and equitable society. Unless they take control of their own fate, the waiting will never end—nor will the tragedies.