Freedom: The idea of being free. The absence of interference with the sovernity of an individual by the use of coercion or aggression. The condition in which an individual has the ability to act according to his or her own will.

The above are some definitions of 'freedom' I have come across. However, I have been trying to construct my own definition of freedom ever since I have been here in Karachi.


It was initially really hard for me to get into the groove of things when I arrived in Karachi. I felt constricted and restricted. There were many things I could not do that I could do freely in Canada. For example, I had to think twice-three times before going to Jamat Khana (place of worship) or getting groceries. I would need to really think about the 'how, when, where, whom' over and over again before I even stepped out of my residence and campus. This was mostly due to safety and security issues, especially since I am a female in a male-dominated society. I couldn't, and still, cant go to most places without a companion or proper transportation. This was frustrating for me because I could easily go out in Canada at any time of the day, where ever I pleased. I felt as if my rights and freedom have been taken away from me. That I had to do what others told me to do - I was being coerced and forced against my will...

Here, women's mobility in the public sphere is severely restricted...for several reasons mind you. These vary from security and safety issues, culture and even tradition. So what about their 'freedom?' Freedom to go where they please and do what they desire without any interference?

Even while living in Canada I may have enjoyed a certain degree of freedom-more so than here in Karachi-but I do not think I was ever completely free in Canada. I too had to follow societal and familial rules and restrictions. For example, a new driver cannot drive at certain times of the night. I can only cross the road in areas where there are designated pedestrian crosswalks otherwise I run the risk of getting heavily fined. These 'rules' do not exist in Karachi. Rules and restrictions serve to maintain a functional society and prevent chaos. However, these restrictions can only be valid if and when they are for every one's benefit, instead for a selected few. Both in Pakistan and Canada, I have seen some regulations benefiting some and not others. So sure I may be "more free" in Canada but only with a lot of restrictions.

Looking back, I think I had become individualistic. I was merely thinking about my rights and my freedoms. I had failed to realize that I was living in a communal society, where my actions affect not only myself but those around me as well. The culture here revolves a lot around families (immediate and extended) and on the community as a whole. Every decision and every action is taken while keeping the wider community in mind.

And so I wonder.... is freedom given to us or do we have to acquire it? Is one considered privileged to be born with a certain degree of freedom? Or does it depend on luck of the draw? What about those who were not born privileged enough ? Do their rights matter or are they just tossed aside? If we are "free" then what are we free from and whom? Are we ever completely "free"?


"The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep's throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act, as the destroyer of liberty. Plainly the sheep and the wolf are not agreed upon a definition of the word liberty; and precisely the same difference prevails today among human creatures." - Abraham Lincoln

"You can only protect your liberties in this world by protecting the other man's freedom. You can only be free if I am free" - Clarence Darrow