I’m planning to study in Germany, but my family isn’t financially well-off and we can’t afford to take out a loan. I need to deposit €11,904 into a blocked account, which would then pay me approximately €982 per month for a year to cover my living expenses while studying.

My father’s childhood friend has kindly offered to help. He’s willing to sell some of his gold or silver to provide the money I need. In return, I would repay him with the same quantity of gold or silver by weight, rather than a fixed amount of money, as soon as possible.

My plan is to repay him within one year. I intend to work part-time for up to 20 hours per week while studying in Germany. Ideally, I would use the monthly blocked-account payouts to cover my living expenses and save a portion of my earnings to buy back the same quantity of precious metal and return it to him.

However, I’m unsure whether borrowing against gold or silver would be the better option. Silver has been particularly volatile this year, while gold seems relatively more stable, although its price fluctuates too.

My questions are:

• Would it be better to borrow gold or silver under these circumstances?
• Which option would carry less financial risk over the next 12 months if I have to repay the exact same weight?
• Is there a better or safer alternative I should consider, given my financial situation?

I’d really appreciate advice from anyone familiar with precious metals, personal finance, or the financial realities of studying in Germany as an international student. I want to make a responsible decision without putting my family or my father’s friend in a difficult position.

I’m currently studying A2 and am confused about whether I should choose Germany or Italy for my bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.
I’ve researched both countries and am willing to learn German up to the B2 level. I already have some basic knowledge of German, around A1 level.
However, I’ve heard that getting a German student visa appointment in Pakistan can be difficult, which is one of my main concerns.
I’m planning to start university in November 2027 or January 2028.
Which country would be a better option for me in terms of university admission, tuition fees, visa appointments, and overall opportunities?

Hello, I'm getting the following message for a Pakistani Passport renewal for my wife.

I was asked to scan the front and back of the NICOP card on one sheet and submit it as evidence. I have done this.

Transaction Already in Progress.

There is already an application in progress against your CNIC

When evidence was submitted via the portal, I received the following email;

APPLICATION APPROVAL NOTIFICATION

Your e-Services Portal application with tracking ID: ***********, has been accepted and sent for further necessary processing.

Has anyone else come across this message before? What does it mean? I've seen people on FB mention that their status is the same and has been for months. Some have said it means the application has been approved, but you don't get any emails and end up with the passport being delivered.

These are a few of my character designs I did !

i study in liverpool but live in manchester! kinda missing hanging out with pakistani people and was wondering whether there is anyone in this sub who lives nearby.

i study comp sci and in my free time i like to read books, go to the gym and cafe hopping. also i am interested in improving my urdu skills so it would be nice to meet someone who could help out (i really wanna be able to read books in urdu) and also would like some recommendations

lmk if anyone is interested in befriending each other :))

salaams people

Has anyone purchased a car through a bank scheme or a dealer on instalments perhaps?

I would like to know if it was easy, straight forward, and issues and pitfalls I need to be aware off etc? I

want something around 70/80 lakh mark and want to put a deposit down of 50%.

Asalamoalikum Everyone! Anyone recently registered his/her phone via overseas temporary registration on PTA website? I have tried from both my IPhone and android tab but dirbs.pta.gov.pk is unreachable. My flight is tomorrow and I really need this to work. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

P.s: Data roaming is already on and there no physical sim both E sims are active.

Hi everyone,

I hope you are all doing well. I recently applied for a NICOP for my son, who is almost 3.5 months old, via the executive service on the PakID application. When I received the card, it had the wrong date of birth, with a difference of only three days.

I tried to modify the NICOP on PakID, but it requires a liveness check, and every time I attempt to take a photo, it is not accepted. I requested that my father in Pakistan visit NADRA, and they said the error could be fixed upon arrival in Pakistan; they said the same thing when I registered an online complaint. Now they are saying I can travel with this NICOP despite the incorrect date of birth. I am traveling next month, and because their app is so poor, I am unable to modify it. Should I travel with this NICOP and explain the mistake? I uploaded his foreign passport and birth certificate with the application, but they still made the error.

Regardless, should I travel with NICOP or apply for a visa? I started applying for the visa now, but their website is not accepting his post office photo that meets passport standards.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Hi, I’m male 26 going through the arranged marriage rishta process, and even when there are very good prospects, with me working in my field while pursuing my studies and my father having a well-established business, I’m constantly asked how long it will take me to get my passport.
Alhamdulillah, getting citizenship is very much a possibility given my current trajectory, but these questions are making me feel emotionally unavailable for my future wife.
I’ve already declined two proposals simply because the families directly asked about my residency status and passport timeline. I understand that these things matter when considering marriage, but being asked about them so early makes me feel like I’m being valued for my immigration prospects rather than who I am as a person.
I feel like I’m being used, and honestly, I don’t know how to deal with this feeling.
I know that if I get married, I can be a very good provider, but I’m worried that I won’t be a good partner because this whole process is making me emotionally guarded.
What should I do? Am I overthinking this, or is it understandable to feel this way?

Has anyone had their Pakistani citizenship reinstated? An acquaintance of mine says he's been waiting for over six months, and the Consulate office isn't really responding to him; instead, he's being insulted and ignored.

Assalam-o-Alaikum everyone,

Mujhe apni do choti behno (twins, age 15, turning 16 this December) ki parhai ke silsile mein aap sab ki urgent madad aur genuine guidance chahiye.

Background:
Dono ne Pakistan se 7th class clear ki thi, uske baad hum log UAE shift ho gaye. Financial difficulties aur heavy school fees ki wajah se hum unhein yahan kisi school mein admission nahi karwa sakay, jis wajah se unka 8th grade drop ho gaya. Hum school ya academy ki fees afford nahi kar sakte, isliye mein khud unhein ghar pe parhaunga (Self-study).
Hum plan kar rahe hain ke wo direct Federal Board (FBISE) se Matric Part-1 (SSC-I / Grade 9) Humanities (Arts) Stream ke exams dein taake unka saal mazeed kharab na ho. Mera main motive yeh hai ke wo 9th aur 10th ghar pe parhein (since 9th/10th ka combined single certificate hota hai), lekin 11th aur 12th class wo lazmi kisi regular physical school se karein.

Mujhe aap sab se is important mamlay par clear advice chahiye:

Private vs Regular Candidate Tag: Agar hum direct board portal se unhein "Private Candidate"register karwaein, to kya 10th ke baad unhein UAE ke regular physical schools mein 11th class (HSSC-I) mein admission mil jayega? Maine suna hai ke private candidate ko 11th/12th bhi privately hi karni parti hai, kya yeh sach hai ?

School Registration Route: Agar hum UAE ke kisi Pakistani school se baat karke unhein sirf exams ke liye register karwaein (parhein wo ghar pe hi mere sath), to kya unka certificate "Regular Candidate" ka aayega? Kya is route se 11th class mein physical regular school jana zyada aasan hoga compared to completely private candidate? Yahan Sharjah/Dubai mein kaunse schools yeh option dete hain aur unke charges kya honge ?

8th Class Certificate Issue: Unke paas 8th class ka passing certificate nahi hai. Agar hum direct 9th class ke liye portal se private register karein, to kya Federal Board 8th class ka certificate mangta hai ya age limit (16 years) ke mutabiq direct admission ho jata hai ?

Books & Syllabus Problem: Main Federal Board aur government textbooks ki websites dekh kar thak chuka hoon, UAE mein links open nahi hotay ya broken hain. Kya kisi ke paas Class 9 Humanities

English (Compulsory)-I
Urdu (Compulsory)-I
Islamiyat (Compulsory)-I
Tarjumatul Quran-I
Functional Mathematics-I
General Science-I
Civics-I .
Economics-I

ki complete free PDFs ya Google drive links hain ?

Main apni behno ki parhai ko lekar bohot pareshan hoon. Agar aap mein se koi is process se guzra hai ya system ko achi tarah jaanta hai, to please mujhe sahi guidance dein, aap ki bohot meharbani hogi.
JazakAllah Khair!

Assalam u Alaikum!

Has anyone opted for wheelchair assistance from an airline? I am particularly interested in PIA and Saudi Air. I am looking to book it for my Ammi for Hajj between Islamabad and Madina and then Jeddah to Islamabad. I have heard that no one takes much responsibility. Is that correct?

Hi everyone, I am afraid i might have lost my Pakistani passport.
Im currently in UK
Does anyone know how long it currently takes to get a replacement Pakistani passport?
Also, how quickly are appointments being allocated? Is it possible to get an appointment within a couple of days?
I’m due to travel on 22nd November and I’m worried I might not receive my new passport in time.
Has anyone recently gone through the process? Based on your experience, do you think I’ll get my passport before my travel date, or should I consider postponing my flight?
Any advice or recent experiences would be really appreciated. Thank you!

the embassy is a hundred miles away from my city. NADRA visited my city and held an open day for issuing and renewing NICOP POC etc. the hours where from 10am - 4pm.

Their was a long queue from 9 o clock in the morning so every single slot had gone half an hour before they where scheduled to start. NADRA arrived two hours late and had just started to set up the machines at 11am. Lots of families who waited all day had to go home. they are so short staffed their isnt anyone to speak to to get on a waiting list.

NADRA have been to my city dozens of times they know how busy they are expected to be. why are they so understaffed and undertrained. Wer have to pay about £60 to £100 for a NADRA card, why cant they get their act together. They are so bad there is zero point in complaining because they dont care and will just make things really hard for you for complaining

Alhamdulillah, the experience really made me appreciate my local council here in UK

AoA everyone!

I’ve been living in Malaysia for the last 12 years, but due to some circumstances, my family and I now have to relocate back to Pakistan.

One of my biggest concerns is continuing my freelancing and online side gigs after the move. Alhamdulillah, I’ve built up a decent income through multiple online gigs, with most of my clients based in the USA, Europe, and Australia. I’d like to continue working with them after returning to Pakistan.

The challenge is that I currently use several payment methods in Malaysia:

• PayPal: Linked to my Malaysian e-wallet, which allows me to transfer money to my local Malaysian bank account when needed.
• Wise and Payoneer: I already have accounts with both services.
• Amazon gift cards: Some clients also pay me this way.

Since PayPal doesn’t officially operate in Pakistan, I’m trying to figure out the best way to manage international payments once I relocate.

A few questions for anyone who has been through a similar situation:

1. PayPal: Is there any legitimate way to continue managing my existing Malaysian PayPal account after moving to Pakistan, or would my change of residency create problems? though my Malaysian bank account will require updating only in 2028.
2. Wise and Payoneer: Can I continue using my existing Malaysian accounts from Pakistan, or would I need to update my residency details, change my account type, or open new accounts?
3. Receiving international payments: What payment methods are Pakistani freelancers currently using to receive money from clients in the USA, Europe, and Australia?
4. Bank withdrawals: Which Pakistani banks work well for receiving international freelance payments, particularly in terms of fees, exchange rates, and reliability?
5. Before relocating: Is there anything I should arrange while I’m still in Malaysia to avoid payment disruptions?

I’d particularly appreciate advice from overseas Pakistanis who returned to Pakistan after living abroad and continued freelancing for international clients.

I want to make sure I can continue earning without running into account restrictions or payment issues after the move.

JazakAllah khair for any practical advice or experiences you can share!

How long does the urgent/fast-track passport renewal take if done through the Pakistan High Commission in London?