Das Pandra Minute Chahiye
Sultan Zayed bin Nahyan was the ruler of the UAE. When he used to visit Pakistan in the 1960s, he would be received at the airport by the commissioner of Rawalpindi. The red carpet would be brought from the manager of Habib Bank’s home, and he would stay at the Intercontinental Hotel. The ministers of Ayub Khan’s cabinet would reluctantly agree to meet him. It was during Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s era that construction activities began in Dubai, and the Nahyan family struggled to persuade the Pakistani government to send skilled workers to the UAE. We used to claim that our people were on par with those in Europe and America.
We would question how we could leave them to die in the desert, and in 1985, Emirates Airlines was launched. At that time, the major airline of today had neither planes nor pilots nor cabin crew. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) leased three planes along with their crews to Emirates. Emirates’ code is EK, representing “E” for Emirates and “K” for Karachi. But what is the situation today? Emirates has become the 12th largest airline in the world, with 271 aircraft and 3,600 flights per week, while PIA, which lent planes to Emirates in 1985, is now banned from flying over Europe and the United States.
Dubai has surpassed Europe and America in terms of development, peace, and living standards. Businessmen, investors, and celebrities from all over the world can be found in Dubai. We have taken a $2 billion loan from the UAE, and every Prime Minister of Pakistan visits Dubai to seek an extension for this loan, begging the Sultan, who advises, “My brother, God has given you hands and feet; earn your living. Why do you beg?” We promise with folded hands that we will soon stand on our own feet, but upon returning to Pakistan, we forget this promise.
This was a level of humiliation and disgrace that we thought was the last. However, when news began to surface last year that Saudi Arabia and the UAE were being inundated by Pakistani beggars, we realized that further humiliation was still possible. Pakistani beggars obtain visas through agents using fake documents, travel to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, stay for six months to a year, indulge in leisure, and then return to board the plane for begging once again. Begging is a crime in both Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
When the police began arresting them, jails filled with Pakistani beggars. Saudi Arabia and the UAE raised this issue with Pakistan. We shuffled it around various committees, and during this time, the number of beggars tripled or quadrupled, until Dubai banned visas for Pakistan. Saudi Arabia also tightened its visa requirements. For the past six months, Dubai has not been issuing visas to Pakistanis, even rejecting visas for our federal secretaries. The whole world goes to Dubai on e-visas or visas-on-arrival, while Pakistanis cannot get a visa from either the embassy or Dubai. Even our billionaire businessmen are being refused.
Dubai now only issues visas to married couples who must travel together; if they travel separately, they are declared “deported” and “fraudulent,” making them ineligible for future visas. The Dubai government expected Pakistan to reach out about these restrictions, establish new SOPs, and ban travel for beggars, after which Pakistani visas would be resumed. But we remain preoccupied 24/7 with Imran Khan, leaving no time to address the issue of beggars in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Thus, the problem became more complicated, leading to Dubai blacklisting 24 Pakistani cities on October 14. The residents of these cities will no longer be eligible for any kind of visa.
The blacklisted cities include Abbottabad, Attock, Bajaur, Chakwal, Dera Ghazi Khan, Dera Ismail Khan, Hangu, Hunza, Kasur, Khushab, Kotli, Kohat, Kurram Agency, Larkana, Nawabshah, Mohmand Agency, Muzaffargarh, Parachinar, Quetta, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Skardu, and Sukkur. These cities were blacklisted due to agent malpractice, visa misuse, and forgery. Thus, the UAE became the first country to officially blacklist our cities, and now, residents of these cities cannot obtain any visa for Dubai. I am confident that our state will silently tolerate this injustice, and no one will speak to the UAE about it.
Every day, fake passports, visas, and green cardholders are arrested at our airports. Drugs are also seized daily, and now beggars are being caught as well. Our passport has become so infamous worldwide that wherever we land, we are made to stand aside, and every single page of our passport is scrutinized thoroughly. Our luggage is also subjected to special inspection. Once, I had the opportunity to travel to Milan via PIA, and I witnessed a strange scene there. As soon as we disembarked, the police were waiting with dogs. The dogs would sniff each passenger before allowing them to proceed to the lounge and immigration hall. I have never seen any other nation go through such humiliation. I once traveled to Fiji from New Zealand, where I was the only Pakistani on the flight. The Fiji immigration did not stop any other passenger; they would just go to the counter, show their passport, and leave within three seconds. However, I was detained and interviewed for two hours. The same happened to me in Moscow, Tunisia, and twice in the United States. These incidents have occurred so frequently that I have grown accustomed to them. Now, I go to the counter and ask directly, “How long do I need to sit, and where should I wait?” Sometimes, I even ask for coffee, and the immigration officers usually laugh at this. And this is the condition of a person who has traveled to 118 countries and whose passport has no space left for new stamps. Imagine the plight of other Pakistanis.
We have two issues: first, the treatment we receive worldwide, and second, our lack of shame about it. This second issue is more alarming than the first. If we truly want to change the country, we need to start with a sense of shame. Believe me, the day we feel ashamed, we will begin to fix things. For example, we can easily solve the visa issue. The government should establish a Visa Qualification Section within NADRA. NADRA has the data of the entire country and can categorize international travel eligibility into five levels based on education, age, financial status, taxes, property, and travel history, assigning travelers a star rating from one to five.
Any Pakistani applying for a visa should be required to submit an International Travel Qualification Certificate along with their passport, ID card, and family certificate. Embassies can verify this certificate with NADRA along with other documents, after which visas can be issued to Pakistanis. This would reduce visa rejection cases and also help restore Pakistan’s reputation. Skilled workers going abroad for employment should also be required to obtain this certificate, verifying their education, professional training, and qualification in their field through NADRA.
Medical certificates and police verification certificates should also be issued by NADRA, which would provide two benefits: travelers would get everything at a one-stop window without having to run around various offices, and embassies would not need to contact multiple departments for document verification, saving time and resources for both travelers and embassies. I urge the government to create short videos for first-time travelers, covering everything from obtaining a passport to using airplane toilets and airport procedures, including immigration and baggage claim.
These videos should be mandatory for all international travelers. This would not only make travel easier but also improve Pakistan’s image globally. Pakistan is genuinely a great country, but unfortunately, we have tarnished its image. However, we can still take a few steps to improve it. I believe Ahsan Iqbal can easily accomplish this, as God has given him both vision and authority; all he needs is fifteen minutes, and this issue could be resolved forever.
