Last week, I received a letter from a father who had just sent his daughter to France for higher education from Lahore. Written on her birthday, the letter is more than a message — it is a confession of love, fear and defiance. It reveals not only what opportunities and challenges await our daughters abroad, but also what is painfully missing for them at home. How do protests and strikes bring life to a standstill, endangering the lives and property of the common citizen? How polluted the air in Lahore is, slashing the lives of our loved ones. The letter reads:

The house still holds your laughter, though your suitcase has been gone for over a year now. You left Pakistan like millions of other young people - full of hope, fear, and the unspoken desire to breathe. From Lahore to Paris, your world expanded faster than our understanding of it. You — who once weren't allowed to visit Anarkali Bazaar alone — now stand at train stations across Europe, board intercity trams, navigate airports solo........

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