The history of human migration from one place to another in search of a better way of  life is very old. When people do not get enough opportunities in their homeland, they start looking for new lands where they can have a better future for the coming generations.
Qatar has always welcomed expatriates who continue to flock here with aspirations of a secure and prosperous future. More often than not, the expatriates succeed in having a better life. People from different backgrounds have been making Qatar their home for a long time and the country has welcomed everyone irrespective of the qualification or expertise one has.
Afghan expatriate Haji Shazar Khan, better known as Musa Jan in his community, landed in Qatar as early as 1970. He arrived as a labourer and today owns a construction company and a restaurant. The simple and easy-going Afghan narrates his progress in Qatar with great admiration for the country.
“Everything else was perfect in my country except the fact that we were not well off. Bad financial condition of the family first forced my father to come to Qatar and I followed suit. My father used to tell me that he travelled on foot to Qatar in the early 1960s. He walked to UAE and then came to Qatar by ship. I came to the country by air. I boarded a Pakistan International Airlines flight from Karachi to Doha,” recollects Musa, who now lives happily with his family in Qatar.
Musa was received by his father at the airport and he started working as a labourer in a construction company. “The airport was not very big then. My father used to live in the area of Fereej Al Ghanim. The first thing I noticed was the summer heat. It felt very hot. My initial days were very tough as a worker. Air conditioners were not very common and refrigerators were also rare. It was hard to have cold water in those days.”
Further sharing about his memories of the early days, Musa said: “I used to have only a T-shirt when at home in the evening. During work break we used to take rest in a nearby mosque where air-conditioning was available. People used to buy water from water carriers. We used to go to bed early as we had to start work early in the morning. It was tough but I was happy that I was earning some money for my family.”
Musa shared an interesting detail of how he and other expatriates used to communicate with families back home. “Though letter writing was common, we also used to record our voice messages on audio cassettes. People would give the cassettes to someone going on vacation. On return, he will bring the cassettes with messages from the family. In our leisure, we used to go to seaside in the evening that was no too far from Souq Waqif. There used to be mass gatherings at Muntazah Park for Eid prayers.”
Recollecting his old memories Musa spoke about Doha and the surrounding areas. “Souq Waqif was not as big as it is today. There used to be a famous Irani Souq. There was not much traffic those days. People used to go to markets on foot in the evening. The vegetable market was near Irani Souq. I used to do two jobs and had very little time to play any sports. Generally, people were simpler but happier those days.”
Musa, who started his life in Qatar as a labourer, made significant progress and became the owner of a construction company. “Some 25 years ago, I set up my own company. Gradually, I started learning the basics of the construction business. Initially, I started getting small contracts as I was working without a regular company. Later, with the help of a generous Qatari woman, I founded my own company and started getting bigger contracts. My company was the first one to be owned and run by an Afghan expatriate. I also own a restaurant in Al Aziziya. I am living happily with my eight children – four sons and four daughters. I have also been nominated as Malik (tribal chief and community leader) by my fellow Afghans in Qatar. We help our community here and resolve different issues.”
Musa hailed Qatar’s hospitality and the opportunities it offers all residents. “Both the government and the people of Qatar are very good. Pashtun people both from Afghanistan and Pakistan have long been living in Qatar. The people of Qatar consider them one of their own. Our people have lived a good life all thanks to Qatar,” he said.
Musa urged his young compatriots to obey the laws of Qatar and work hard to make life better. “I would urge the young Afghans to offer their prayers regularly and also obey the laws of the land. Qatar has given us respect and we have to pay it back. We should not do something that can bring bad name to our native country or to Qatar.”