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Racial and religious profiling at airports or during the visa process has become an experience thousands of Pakistanis – or South Asians for that matter, share. But it doesn’t end there. Unfortunately, the unfair and often baseless treatment extends over to foreign students, artists and professionals residing in the western countries as well.
The 12 Pakistani students who were arrested in UK and then deported were labelled as ‘security risk’. If no charges were brought up against them, how was it established that they were posing a risk? Was being Pakistani enough to justify this suspicion? Whether or not other South Asian regions admit it, it is very often heard how someone accused of a crime abroad is labelled as a ‘Paki’ despite belonging to neighbouring countries.
Unlike local residents, if foreign nationals are suspected of a crime but then released based on no evidence, instead of walking out free, quite often they are deported to their native country.
Similarly, Mohammed Haneef, a doctor practising in Australia was arrested for providing support to a terrorist organisation but after four weeks in custody, was released. Haneef’s arrest was a mistake but that didn’t stop the authorities from cancelling his work visa and eventually causing him to return to India.
Arrests based on religious affiliation, 'suspicious name' or a certain demographic have become extremely common now. Lengthy and often intensive screening of Muslim or South Asian travellers in general is also continuously being perpetuated. Rohinton Mistry, the renowned Canadian author had cancelled his book tour in the US for this reason alone. It was stated that as a ‘person of colour’ he was repeatedly stopped at US airports and decided to go no further to avoid this humiliation.
Our own prominent social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi has been detained three times at US airports despite his humanitarian work being known worldwide.
These laws were put in place for security reasons after 9/11 and no doubt they may have averted some serious potential damage but do they really have to be applied so hastily? Why isn’t the same treatment not extended to Arab countries then? How many visas have been rejected on baseless claims of suspicion about the traveller’s intentions?
Perhaps the International Olympic Committee might have picked up on this too, as one IOC member from Pakistan asked what it would be like for foreigners, including athletes from countries such as ours or Iraq, to enter the US if Chicago were to win the Olympic hosting race.
If you were hoping for change, then look around. Based on the unjustified rejection of visas, harassment at airports and intensified screening going on today, can South Asian travellers hope for a difference? Will the leaders of the Western countries act upon their rhetoric about understanding the Muslim world or should we give up hoping for fair treatment when entering another country?
Shyema Sajjad is the Desk Editor at Dawn.com
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Comments (75) Closed
Oct 06, 2009 12:37pm
"Well, dont you think its the responsibility of those running our country to take the corrective actions? "
Come on... What do you expect from people who think they are 'ruling us' when we elect them to 'serve us'.... What do you expect from people who are our 'hukumran'???
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Oct 06, 2009 11:55am
We can not blame others for what we do wrong. Seeing the situation how we kill minorities in Pakistan. Why we should expect people to respect us. What we give, we get back. We are a nation who is exporting terroism all over world, why any body will allow us to be in there country. Why not we clean our country and show the world new Pakistan, with self respect and proud. Not a begger country asking money with a bowl in one hand and bomb in other hand.
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Oct 06, 2009 11:58am
Do we get fair and respectful treatment on our very own airports and immigration check points? First treat yourself good and then expect others to respect you.
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Oct 06, 2009 12:02pm
Its a very well written article and the point raised by the author is genuine, though by the grace of Allah I have not faced any such humiliation while staying or travelling abroad. What needs to be realised is that the problem is within and not from outside. Why do we Pakistani's even bother to go abroad? For better education, life or probably medical treatment. If we would have all these things in our home country why bother to move around. And yes there has been some black sheeps among us who have done nasty things and just because of their actions the whole country is facing the brunt. The writer pointed out that why are arabs not meted the same treatment? Well because the Arabs are rich. Unfortunately its a common thing that you respect the rich and snub the poor. This is practiced everyday in our lives in Pakistan where the rich are considered noble and respected where as the poor are neglected. In the comity of nations Pakistan is one of the poorest country around-i dont know whether we are poor or not but our leaders roam around the whole world begging-and that is why its citizens face this humiliation. Its all our mistake and we should not blame others for our short comings. I hope we as a nation realise this and stop blaming others for our problems. PAKISTAN ZINDABAD
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Oct 06, 2009 12:04pm
I would like to clarify the case of Indian doctor Mohammad Haneef who was falsely accused of being a terrorist by the Australian government. An Australian government enquiry had not only acquitted Dr Haneef of any wrong doing but also restored his work visa to that country. Dr Haneef still has his job in the Gold Coast hospital where he was working and he can pretty much return anytime if he decides to do so. But he is still undecided about returning to Australia as per latest media reports.
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Oct 06, 2009 12:05pm
Does this same problem was there 20 year's back....NO.
We need to question our self why this is now
answer is we are responsible for this.
Before they always welcomed us and what we gave them ???????
Pls stop blaming other's for your mistake's.
If you can't manage your house let them manage there.
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Oct 06, 2009 12:09pm
I fully agree with this article as an Indo Canadian living in Toronto,
Racial profiling exists everywhere in the world including OUR OWN COUNTRIES LIKE INDIA: PAKISTAN AND ALL COUNTRIES WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
If you research the issue deeply; you will find that now South Asians are moving away from their countries of forefathers and re-settling in Western and other countries. In the process, we i.e Indians;Paksitanis; Bangladeshis and Srilankans are snatching away a piece of the cake which hitherto was sole domain of white people. The resentment is obvious and is surfacing in different forms.
In defense though I can only say that there is discrimination all around the world in some form or the other. To cite a simple example; when I came to live in Mumbai from a small town with my parents as a kid some 45 years ago we preferred to stay in Marathi area and were more comfortable with Marathis ( Hindus and Muslims both) compared to North Indians not because we hated them but because as a human being you are more comfortable with people who speak your language ; eat your type of food etc until later when we grew up in a Convent English Medium school in the then Bomaby that we learnt of equality and became more comfortable with some of our school friends who were North Indians and spoke only Hindi and NOT Marathi. As we grew up ; we realised early in life in school itself that all communities have good and bad people. Now that affinity of our parents more towards Marathi speaking people was also one form of discrimination against others and the point is if we look back in or lives ; we will find that the world is full of discrimination and that there is no exception with one community or the other. However one must NOT forget that atleast the western countries are democratic and have established laws and systems much stronger than our south Asian countires and by and large they are FAIR .
But I still would vote for the facts mentioned in this article, as I have myself noticed the word Paki used in derogatory sense against all south Asians and NOT just Pakistanis as I live in Canada and was in US since 1991.
IF ONLY WE WERE UNITED AND NOT FIGHTING AMONG OURSELVES WE WOULD REAP MORE BENEFOTS AND WOULD DEVELOP FASTER.
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Oct 06, 2009 12:17pm
How is this possible? If all of this were real, I am sure that the human rights would've been on its tail... I too am deciding to shut my eyes towards it...
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Oct 06, 2009 12:19pm
"IF ONLY WE WERE UNITED AND NOT FIGHTING AMONG OURSELVES WE WOULD REAP MORE BENEFOTS AND WOULD DEVELOP FASTER."
@ Uday...
My friend... Wake up and listen to the music....
Our 'desires' for 'better lives' are not the in the agenda of our so called leaders...
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Oct 06, 2009 12:23pm
I do not agree. I have been Traveling so many countries after 9/11 .. Even resident in one of EU country from 4 years .. I did not face any such kinda experience in my life .. I had heard about Germans but it was so different picture when I visited German .. they were so kind and Nice they helped me to get my flight due to my late coming in Airport too.
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Oct 06, 2009 12:26pm
Well, dont you think its the responsibility of those running our country to take the corrective actions? leaders all over the world work for their people in & outside the country, but unfortunately alongwith other problems & stigmas some of us face this too.
I appreciate Mr Gilani asking Alan Johnson to shift visa office back in Islamabad means you get heard if your point of view is being put across rightly.
there is not much we can do as individuals, however, being consciously aware of the issue and acting rightly is important I believe, specially in our country where politicians come in power not through public votes but other factors.
we certainly need sincere leaders to run Pakistan in a way we feel proud of.
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Oct 06, 2009 12:38pm
Excellent article...interestingly if these holy ones are put to the same measures they keep complaining to no end. When UAE slapped entry visa charges on Brits and Americans last year, they made so much noise, as if they were allowing free entry to every one in their country.
We should not live with that. We need to take up media campaigns as well as activate our people their and our foreign office, if one exists.
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Oct 06, 2009 12:39pm
Discrimination abroad is at its peak not only in the western non muslim countries but in countries like KSA.. I was born and brought up in the kingdom and i have seen the attitude of saudis towards the expats living here, although most of them are Muslims... they are treated as second grade citizens .. and saudis have this belief that they are superior to everyone and deserve the best while the hard working expatriates should not be provided the facilities they enjoy this is what they do only and ..only becasue they belong to poor south east asian states..
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Oct 06, 2009 12:45pm
Racial profiling is nothing when we are already used to provincial and linguistic profiling. Pakistanis visiting far east Muslim countries or even brotherly Middle eastern countries are suppose to arrange their visas, guarantees and return flights before they can be let out of the airport.
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Oct 06, 2009 12:59pm
Detaining person of Abdul Sattar Edhi's stature is no less comparable to hypothetical detaining of Mother Teresa.
What a shame, America?
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Oct 06, 2009 01:26pm
This is interesting article and subject of discussion,but every issue has two side,one side of the issue is that we south asians esp Pakistanis also need to make our house in order,further more,when we go to west,we also need to respect their culture and society,I noticed that most of our people lives in close circuit society and they never try to integrate or explore the western culture and life style,many of us always stay like unchanged hard core people.Therefore on our part as expatriates,we should also value the life system instead living like aliens for years.
Second side:Westerners are over conscious after 9/11,7/7 London and Spain bombings,this over supervision and profiling some times violate the basic human rights which also harms the face value of western world.
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Oct 06, 2009 04:07pm
Ha, very funny.
First of all the readers should know one thing very clearly. The people who discriminate against us are mostly Arabs and Middle Eastern and therefore fellow Muslims. When was the last time you travelled to say Dubai or Qatar?
Did you see those Arabs with sticks in their hands and herding MY countrymen in immigration queues like we are some kind of animals?
That been said..The treatment we get in western countries is not all too bad. First of all they are doing it to protect all of us. Second of all, the people who attacked them came from our region so naturaly there is suspicion.
But main reasons why we are subjected to such treatment is because Arabs/Westerners see OUR OWN LEADERS TREAT US LIKE WE ARE SLAVES TO THEM, and therefore it is considered a norm to treat us such.
One American citizen goes missing and they threat to attack an entire country whereas OUR BELOVED COUNTRY PAKISTAN IS IN THE BUSNIESS OF SELLING ITS OWN CITIZENS FOR 5000 DOLLARS.
Now go figure..Why do we get treated the way we do.
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Oct 06, 2009 04:14pm
This is an unspoken reality that many of Muslims, especially those from third world face.
However, unfortunately, as an Afghan I have received the same treatment from the Pakistani authorities too. Police and Border authorities treat Afghans worse than Americans do to all muslims.
9/11 changed everything, I don't know to whose benefit???
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Oct 06, 2009 04:38pm
The article holds some relevance - I am a canadian with pakistani decent - and i have rarely felt any discriminatory action from immigration services - however, at times when they see my visa to Pakistan - i do get bombed with a lot of questions.
I agree with people, when it comes to our community they do not tend to adapt to the culture of the country other than they are from - may i know why is that??? that to me is hypocrisy - you expect others to respect your culture/religion where you tend to not do the same - people should broaden their minds and learn to adapt to new/different things.
As they say - "Do in ROme as the Romans do," ..... you dont have to do the things that may go against your beliefs but atleast absorb the good qualities of the society while living abroad.
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Oct 06, 2009 05:12pm
FYI. Arabs and Middle Eastern people are treated with the same (if not worse) "random" searching and questioning as South Asians. I have actually seen this first hand and I have heard countless stories.
Ask the poor Iranians what they experience every time. I think its a broader "Muslim" issue rather than to any specific country.
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Oct 06, 2009 05:25pm
I am living in Ireland but I am a Pakistani by birth (should I say proud Pakistani), I might not agree with everything the atricle says because I have travelled MashAllah all around the world on my Pakistani passport and with the grace of Allah, I have never been teased or harrassed. This is even after 9/11.
Sometimes the immigration officer dealing with you has intentions of making your life difficult but what I have seen most of the times is that our people can not express themselves properly espcially when it comes to English, which makes it even worse for us. Because we are not able to speak the way they expect us to or the way we should, it ends up taking a lot of time. And what we say afterwards is that the officer detained us for hours at the airport. I would want to request my countrymen to please firstly get their act together espcially with English and then intend to travel to the west.
Secondly an Afghani champ wrote that the same happened to him at the Pakistani airport, so let me tell you one thing my friend, if you people would keep on misusing and exploiting our boundaries and then more over spread crime and your mentality in our country then I guess we are more than right to treat you guys the way you are treated right now.
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Oct 06, 2009 05:31pm
lets first look at the scars on our backs etched by our individual doing or collective
that makes us the victim.There is no denial
that after 09/11 both religious and racial
profiling has immensely increased.Ordinary
person is caught between the sharks and the
piranhas.I stronly believe the Character of
a nation can be build or marred by attitude of the media.In recent years media has played very positive role in trying to make
both the public and the governmment to amend
their ways? What we have seen in the last few days in regards to recovery of a family
from detention was based on political motive
and not humanitarian.This issue relates to
the Visas and the concerned country can only
endorse such policies either directly or indirectly with governments of affected nations, who because of their own vested interest readily become a pawn on other's chessboard.
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Oct 06, 2009 05:55pm
Why dont people understand that it is easy to complain screening officers but just for a minute stand on the opposite side and see what you may have to face...
Screening is all ok and should be there to serve any countries necessity. Any individual going to different country DO NOT HOLD RIGHT TO GO but they request. Now if request is denied or accepted, Just be happy with it.
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Oct 06, 2009 06:18pm
AlHamdulillah, I never have any trouble traveling in and out of the USA and many other countries around the world.
I am a Pakistani and never have diffculties even traveling to India.
We as human being, first, have to learn to respect the law of the land. It is any country's right to investigate who is entering into their territory.
My foremost advise to all travellers that always be cooperate with authorities, they will make it easy upon you!!! And to be honest, if one is clean why would he be worried for!
I commute to the city on a train and then take subway to travel within. When I see police stationed at the gate, I do not try to pass away, instead, I proceed in front of them and ask whether they would like to check me out, trust me, they have quipped "you are clean, sir, please go".
I have put on beard and my looks are typical of a 'muslim'.
AlHamdulillah, I live in one of the best countries in the world, USA. Where you have every right to practice your beleifs as long as it won't hurt fellow human!!!
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Oct 06, 2009 06:28pm
First of all I'm failed to understand why all Pakistani students want go and study in the UK? There are some very good other options for studies in other European countries like Germany, France etc.
I also believe that every country has right to deny Visa to any individual, however, clean people 95% of the times having no issues in obtaining the visas to any country.
I have been traveling to all over the Europe including UK without any problems but at the same time UK has slightly diffenet approach towards GREEN passport. I have seen my fellow Pakistanis are questioned at immigration or asked to step aside for a small "interview"
But again question is why everybody running to UK? Don't go there if they don't want you !
Shakeel
Kuwait City
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Oct 06, 2009 06:39pm
well,bravo readers, finally people realize that human rights exist, well, if we look at pakistan there's no human rights or shall I say no rights at all,to pakistanis it's like that, and for the west, west should respect the rights, so until we change our whole thinking, we are going to hear more and more stories like that and until our rulers get the whole picture and people get real freedom,and understand democracy and should get out of this muslim victims stans,anytime something happens, we use this muslim and west card. I say stop and be proud of what we are and start walking with the world not against it and our govt; should make the policies which are not to bring us down but to bring us to same standard.I think in pakistan people and govt; do not realize the importance of standards,we have to establish some sort of standards and this is how people will learn until than everyone is for themselves, as in pakistani way!
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Oct 06, 2009 07:02pm
All these problems of suspicion and harassment in the Western countries are the signs that these countries are getting more and more messed up and do not know how to behave, because of the fast geopolitical upheavels taking place in the present day world makes their future less ans less certain. To help to accelerate the coming in of this new worid order, the Asians, Africans and the South Americans must start avoid going to the Western lands,and start travelling to the East, South and North for a new world.
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Oct 06, 2009 06:57pm
I think its about time we should just realise and accept the fact that this attitude towards Pakistanis' or South Asians will never change. I have visited abroad but never got involved in such situation. But i would rather expect some respect from our own politicians and ministers and all the authorities rather than some one abroad. Our own politicians just enjoy the liberty of leading the country. They treat us as if we're their slaves. Look at the amount of money they spend on their own protocols. If the president our the prime minister visits Kacrachi the whole city goes chaos because of traffic divesions, its because of their own security. But do they care about our secuirty? Do they even bother to find out the culprits of The Gojra incident? No they dont. They spend millions for their security and i wonder how much they spend for us. The police is corrupt, the judiciary is corrupt. If a poor or a middle class citizen has a case, that person just gives it up and suffers through out his/her life because its either thay dont afford that much to give bribes or they dont have some personal contacts through which thye could move their cases fwd. im sorry to say but if this is the level of our judicary system and our politics, then i dont really expect some foreigner respecting us.
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Oct 06, 2009 07:23pm
I have been in US for the last 20 years and raiesd a family without any issues.However 9/11 changed some of the lifestyles of every American including me but I have adapted to this life. This is because my skin colour and looks match with that of main stream Terrorists.I dont have much of achoice.
The problem with my Pakistani frinds is they fail to realise that Pakistan is branded as # 1 source of the world terrorism.Now does that mean every Pakistani is a terrorist? No.I think all of us in South Asia have to help Pakistanis to stand and fight this . They have to take the lead first, this I am afraid has to come from People.My Pakistani friends have to work hard to convince the rest of world that Pakistan is not a Global factory of terrorist and till then we the people of rest of south Asia would continue to suffer with no fault of ours.
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Oct 06, 2009 07:30pm
The reason for the discrimination is very simple: Pakistan is the gateway to FATA and Afghanistan. If you are from Pakistan or have visited Pakistan, you may have gone to FATA or Afghanistan for training. Hence the additional scrutiny. It is simply self-protection, not discrimination. We would do the same thing in their situation.
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Oct 06, 2009 07:38pm
As long as the check is done courteously and professionally, there is o need to take it personally or consider it humiliation. In US everyone including senators and past President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore is expected to take of their shoes when going through airport security system. Edward Kennedy whose brother was a President and who himself had been a senator for over 40 years got onto some sort of a list because apparently there was some Irish terrorist called Edward Kennedy. Each time would be detained but did not complain.
In the US, there is no VIP culture, everyone is subject to law. A simple example when Bush was President, his underage daughter was found to be drinking - the authorities called Bush and his wife and gave him the same lecture that they would to a parent of any other teen drinker. In our countries, people at much lower levels will simply get away by saying "Do you know who my father is?". This is why people like Shah Rukh Khan and Abdul Attar Sedhi who are VIPs in their own country expect the same treatment in other countries and complain about harassment when they do not get it.
My advice: get over these complexes. Either honor their laws in their country or do not go there. You will not get any special treatment just because you are a big shot in your own country.
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Oct 06, 2009 07:47pm
i totally support the view of Muhammad Abbasi, that one should respect the law of the land and the dignity of his own nation while he is reperesenting them in another country. we should not point fingers at people while we know that we and certain media based institution demoralised our people. and the worst they did it in a way that even we didnt realised it before we had lost our culture and national honor to these elements.
another reson for this is our Government playing party politics, when Musharaf was alone ruling the country before Muslim League Q joind in, we saw a record increase in UK visas issued to students and business men. But political government never took a strict action against any foreign discrimination done in the past. true democracies like US took police action against Koria to protect their students. they have invaded countries for protecting their citizens.......but we are demoralising our nation so that we can make it weak for foreign envasion axing our own roots.
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Oct 06, 2009 08:00pm
I am living in Abu Dhabi from four years and would you belive in ABu Dhabi for 3rd world country Airline's there is one dedicated terminal. Arabs are really treating people from 3rd world countries becasue they are giving zakat to us on the name of free oil / aid. So for sure they have the right to treat us like beggers why to blame others. But one thing is better about dealing with arabs atleast they dont treat you on the name of religion where as in west being muslim is it self a crime. I like to travel & visited many countries but never had a wish to go to EU , UK or USA
Its a simple rule one should not go at a place where he dont get respect.
I was reading some where arbas from gulf were working in the darbar of Nazam Hayderabad - Dakhan for better life.
South asian region is simply awesome lets us take it back to glory as it was in the past and let these west people to wish to come over here.
At the end please accept its our fault that we are running in their countries dont forget its THEIR place and THEY have the right to treat you as THEY WANT.
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Oct 06, 2009 09:25pm
Immigration is a piece of cake in comparison to getting the visa. If you thought UK was being difficult our Best Friends. China require some applicants to submit police clearance(noc). Oh yeah and it has to be from the place where your ID card or Passport Add is not your current location. So if you've moved to Islamabad recently from Karachi, hop on a plane back to Khi, get your clearance and only then will your visa be prossesed.
Also check with the expats who have to do the rounds of our Embassies abroad to obtain Pakistani visas. When they do get it and make it to our shores, we have welcoming committees. Persons who tail them to their hotels, acquire their plans and at times even make direct approach to inquire about their activities.
some say its tit for tat.. if they do it to us why shouldn't we do it to them..
in a world where trust is so easily broken. is there really a way of ensuring only the right people get through?
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Oct 06, 2009 09:28pm
I think we should concentrate on ourselves first rather than trying to change others. I have been seperated and examined at different airports in both US and Pakistan probably because of my name and identity. Believe me, I got a lot more respect in USA even though I was being interrogated than in my own beloved country Pakistan. Also, I was examined and body searched in Pakistan even in early 80's; long before it started in USA. By the way I have yet to be body searched in USA.
I would like us to look at another aspect as well. We all are aware of the fact that we can go to any length to enter or get a visa for ANY COUNTRY. Once a very well known news caster said in the 80's when a US plane was highjacked in Karachi and still sitting on the runway. He said, "Karachi airport is one of the most secure airports in the world but for only five dollars you could get anything done in Pakistan".
I think we carry a lot of baggage and are responsible for this humiliation and disrespect. We should not just be blamming others for our own faults.
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Oct 06, 2009 10:12pm
I think there should be always extra checking for the people from Pakistan as it is the root of the terrorism worldwide. Its not like all Pakistanis are terrorists but all terrorists have Pakistani links.
If you guys learn to love the country and obey the laws of land then there should not be a problem. But for you guys the religion comes first and then everything else.
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Oct 06, 2009 10:20pm
Half of these problems would disappear if the Pakistani government backed its citizens in trouble abroad.
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Oct 06, 2009 10:38pm
Discrimination is everywhere. Within Pakistan, discriminate on the basis of language, belief is very common. Appointmnet are made on the basis of who knows whom, no consideration on merit.
Travel to middle east, they treat Pakistanis as beggers. Europe and North America discrimination is at peak after 9/11. If your name seems to be like muslim name, be ready to be pulled on side. So discrimination is there.
But now question is what to do in this situation. The best way is to live by example. never involve in any negative activities. Things do change with passage of time. Living in North America, I know situation has improved, but still lot more to improve. Keep patience, follow quran and Sunnah and live by example.
On personal terms, US Immegration made my flight miss, but airlines compensated by promoting to higher class. So you suffer, but sometimes compensated. I hope a time will come when those having negative view will change and regret their past. Glorious time will come, but have to follow Quran and Sunnah.
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Oct 06, 2009 11:21pm
I travel frequently through western countries many times each year. Sometimes I do see the hint of racial profiling and discrimination, but on most occassions, officers treat me with humility and respect. Unfortunately the 'green passport' has a reputation, acquired over many years of delinquent and irresponsible behaviour. It may not be easy to reverse this situation, but, I believe, each of us can play a role to win back the respect that we deserve as law abiding citizens. Until then, we may need to learn to live with such situation.
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Oct 06, 2009 11:24pm
First off, we as a people have to learn how to collectively work together and if there is a nation or profiling system out there that we feel uncomfortable with, we, as Pakistani's need to work together and bring awareness.
Nowadays most countries in the Middle East stretching from Pakistan west to include Afghanistan, Iran, Gulf and other Arab countries have suffered.
But we shouldnt let our guard down, without Pakistani's where would those countries be? They need us to be there doctors, lawyers, dentists, business-men/women, shopkeepers, labourers etc.. etc...
We need to stand strong, stand united, and if slighted, we need to rectify the situation through the proper channels (lodging collective protests etc...) We should also ask for more Pakistani trained staff to handle our people. I have travelled extensively to the US, Europe but my one exception was a trip to Toronto, where the canadian offical of INDIAN background caused lots of problems and headache for the Pakistani passengers. We need to have neutral people and need to lodge complaints and protests collectively when the time is due rather than being complacent and just complaining. These western countries need us just as much as we need them. lets not forget that either.
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Oct 07, 2009 12:00am
Leaving Karachi airport around 4 years ago to come to Canada as an International Student was not an easy task for me. I was mis-treated at Karachi Airport by my own people, they made me stand at the Exit counter for half an hour for no apparent reason and asked me irrelevant questions about my personal life, simply because I was an 18 year old girl travelling alone. Canadians on the other hand, welcomed me as a new International student and told me they 'hoped I had a wonderful stay that I'd remember for a long time'.
When our own people treat us unfairly so why complain about others?
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Oct 07, 2009 12:22am
i have been to UK, but never been stopped or asked stupid questions at the airport. but when i travelled from London to Sydney, Australia, I was stopped here 5 times at the same go, they kept looking at my Pakistani passport & asking me why I was coming from UK to Australia. the last stop girl made me empty my bags & luggage & asked me stupid questions like why did I have 3 cds in my bag (I told her it was music cds) & she asked me if the cds had religious material. I was in Sydney to meet my sister anyway.
on my return they stoped me again, made me sit on the side and took my Pakistani passport inside their office where I could listen them asked maybe police or others about my record. They they send a Sikh guy & he started talking to me in Punjabi (no offence to Sikhs & Punjabis) but I am from Quetta & having Pakhtoons, Balochis, Brahuis, Punjabis, Farsi-speaking, Sindhi in my city, Most people speak the national Pakistani language Urdu. Australia takes NAATI tests. why cant they have send a Urdu speaking (pakistani or indian) to interogate me? It was very annoying trying to understand what the Sikh was asking. I might not look like the average pakistani, but even asking me in English would have been fine.
Australia is a racist country, like the recent attacks on Indians showed, but they show an open hate towards Muslims, especially Pakistanis.
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Oct 07, 2009 12:25am
Well, Mr Hammad is correct in one way but can someone answer that why government policies support certain thoughts and ideas and who drives them. Is there any think tank working in Pakistan to see where nation is going and what universities are doing and how are they producing graduates. Does government think tanks see where the nation should head towards with a new layer of fresh brains every year. Nope, we only get instruction from big brothers that kill extremists and kill talibans or blame on someone. We have not learned anything as of yet. If you explore history, Western countries had and has been constantly bringing new technologies every year in our country, we see Wars & battles with India, within ourselves etc, their government know how to use their graduates and moreover they instruct universities to produce graduates in specific field or provide grants for certain fields that government think tanks analyzed they are lacking.
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Oct 07, 2009 12:32am
About twenty years ago, a Somali refugee shows up at one of the Canadian Airports. He has no money, no proper clothes, did not know language and had no future. Canada not only welcomes him, provides him home, necessities of life, language skills, work, honour, equal rights and great future.
After twenty years, the same Somali hates Canada, because its an Un Islamic country, cannot tolerate its western liberties, calls it a land of Kafirs and plans to terrorise and destroy the society which has given him so much. Fortunately for Canada, he is caught before he fulfills his mission.
This true story of a Somali refugee is not a rare incident, there are thousands of such people who came in similar circumstances, but after getting best things of life, intend to turn into hell holes, which they had left long time before.
The treatment which third world people encounter at western airports is regrettable and unfortunate, media who highlights these incidents must show other side of the story too.
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Oct 07, 2009 12:33am
Dear Hammad Sarfraz from Clifton,
What you write makes the most sense. No country respects us because we really do not respect ourselves. With bombings and Mayhem right here at home, it does not surprise me that we are treated with suspicion at foreign airports and so we should be.
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Oct 07, 2009 01:05am
Nice article Shyema. Unfortunately most terrorists are from Pakistan. Pakistan is known for training them and giving them shelter. We need those terrorists in our endless war against India and plus, while terrorism is alive the leaders have the opportunity to make even more money. Its that simple! This will continue forever until we change the people of Pakistan. Life is too short to dream like Jinnah or Iqbal. Best thing is to move abroad, completely forget Pakistan. Yes, it will still appear as your country of birth but atleast your kids won't have to go through this screening process or be profiled.
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Oct 07, 2009 01:21am
Any terror attack in any part of teh world trace back to Pakistan.
According to UK PrimeMinister Gordan Browne, all UK terror plot trace back to Pakistan. All London bombers were Pakistani and had visited Pakistan. Pakistani terrorist Amir Cheema was caught red handed in Germany. US jails are full of Pakistani terrorists. Not only in US, UK and West, but in Saudi Arabia and mid-east also Pakistanis are executed on daily sis for drugs and other criminal activities.
So Pakistanis must think and reliaze why they are being discriminated at the port of entry of any country.
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Oct 07, 2009 01:30am
I agree with brother Muhammad Abbasi,I am a US citizen of Pakistani decent and I went to Canada right after 9/11 and at the Air port repeatedly being anounced then we will do random search,pls do not take it personnel and cooperate with us and I was ready that I will surely be searched and you will not believe it that while me and my wife were walking towards the plane,the officer stopped an elderly white lady who was walking before me and I stopped myself and officer told me to keep walking do not stop unless ask for.
I think it all depends how we react under the circumstances,I travel to Pakistan every other year and even after 9/11 never even once I had bad experience with the offcial,if one simply answer them what they are asking instead of giving them impression that I am being harrased or something,belive me it will be over before you know it.
They are very smart and well trained,they will ask you very simple question and they will figure out in your 1st reply that they need to ask you another question to satisfy them or not and its all up to you,you can make it difficult by saying"you are asking me because I am muslim" or make it smooth by saying Yes.
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Oct 07, 2009 02:36am
Immigration agents around the world are not the most highly paid intellectual types so you can expect them to act pretty rough. Be mentally prepared when you travel that you are going to come across someone who can potentially give you hard time, just remember, at moments you even have to call an --- a Sir Jee.
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Oct 07, 2009 03:07am
I am not sure why Pakistan or Pakistanis compare themselves with Arabs or other South Asians. We should not do that and it is our fault. We as Pakistani's need to have common goal and show the world that we as a nation stand against fundamentals and terrorists. We need to clean our house first and get rid of this cancer that has spread in our country for the world to trust us as people.
Pakistan is suppose to be an icon of democracy and progress. Instead we have become a nation of terror and disgrace. We have hope to bring back our country to the right place and start over as a proud and peaceful nation. Once we acheive this target I am hoping Pakistanis will not face any discrimination.
For now we should show positive attitude and respect to all authorities and we should understand others when they ask us tough questions and we should also remind them that our army and government are engaged with the evil.
God bless our strong PAK ARMY.
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Oct 07, 2009 03:12am
I appreciate the sentiment of this blog post, but the bigotry and discrimination of Arab immigration officials is far greater than that of the U.S. or Europe. Upon a visit to Dubai airport, I was shocked to see a group of Pakistani laborers treated worse than animals by the Dubai Airport Immigration staff.
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Oct 07, 2009 03:36am
we are responsible for all of this ourselves stop blaming others....whereever an incident happens evidence indicate that it was either a paistani or got training from pakistan or got funding from pakistan....the security forces customs are doing an exceptional job in preventing their country from threat and we should understand that....do we diffrentiate between a gora and american and australian????
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Oct 07, 2009 03:37am
Just to add little more about the Arabs attitude towards Pakistanis. I agree with what Mr. Desihungama wrote. Arabs do not deserve any respect from Pakistanis nor our goverment should have any relationship with them.If I was the government I will work with Friends of Pakistan strickly China,Japan, Europe and America who are making the effort to improve the situation in Pakistan.
My last message to Pakistanis is to behave like educated, advance and respected individuals and you shall gain all the respect back.
I would like also all the Pakistani brothers and sisters to stay away from Arab nonsense.
God Bless
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Oct 07, 2009 04:06am
no doubt our treatment in the west is based on suspicion and fear mongering, but i don't know what compel us to discriminate against our fellow countrymen and fellow muslims. Displaced pakhtoons were not allowed to enter other provinces, overtly to sindh and covertly to punjab. A Bihari can not buy a house in memon colony, while entering to cantt area or buying a house over there requires the same time we need for UK visa. Similarly, our treatment of afghan nationals in our country is pathatic, while our treatment in arogant Arab countries, the so called source of humanity and equality, is a contempt of humanity itself. we are not more than camel jockeys to them. might be our small(uncivilized) acts produce large consequences. better we should consider our limitation and need to respect ourselves before going to demand it from others. our sixty years experience as a nation shows that a better option is to take a chisel and hammer, open up our natioanl skull and put the sense in.
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Oct 07, 2009 04:07am
the views of the writer are true but the humiliation of travelers from South Asia is not confine to Muslims alone. I am Pakistani Christian and while I was traveling to Australia I suffered very insulting behavior at Dubai Air port where I was kept waiting to be questioned about my intending visit and from where and how i get the visa. I am still not able to forget those suspicious eyes of Saudi officer who was gazing at me after every short interval while processing other passengers to let them board the plane.
In Singapore again I have to bear all that again. At the very sight of my green passport the lady officer called her colleague because I was the only Pakistani in that flight. The male officer called the most senior officer of the Airport and she started to investigate my documents and a lot of irreverent questions. The most annoying thing was that she kept me asking the same question again and again.
Same was happen with my brother in law who is missionary and was visiting Japan with his Australian friend. Despite of the fact that he is missionary and Christian he was taken to investigation cell and was questioned more than hour. The suspicious thing about that fellow was his beard.
So, friends this is the fate of every Pakistani irrespective of their religion and we are responsible for that too.
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Oct 07, 2009 05:07am
Firstly, i would like to point my fingers directly at a few Muslims that have stained and tarnished others. The acts of a few people have made it hard on all Muslims when travelling internationally.
I find it very hard that i am always "randomly" screened at airports, while people that looked like utter complete weirdos are allowed on without any hassle. So, once again I say thank to extremists and fundamentalists that have made mine and so many other Muslims' people live harder.
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Oct 07, 2009 05:26am
As far as I am concern about this article, I would say that we don't have good respect as being called Pakistani because our system is currupted and we are representing our system. Therefore, we inherited this system and could not stop doing stupidity. Every country have right to check their passenger for any security reason mostly, for those counrties which do have corruption. Unless we don't get a good respect, we do face these security problems.
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Oct 07, 2009 05:26am
Discrimination starts at home .
such as he is Christian he is Muslim he is sindhi he is punjabi he is Ahmdi he is SIALKOTE he is LAHOREE multani and so on so the writer please explain what is DISCRIMATION.
ABOUT aPAKISTANI or a PASSPORT or being HEUMAN
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Oct 07, 2009 05:50am
I have lived in the US for over 18 years and am currently a US resident. I have traveled as far away as Argentina and Australia and my experience has been that as soon as I have pulled out my Pakistani passport whether I am entering the US or another country, I have been pulled aside for "special questioning and screening". My most pleasent experience was when I was frequently travelling to the UK on a Business Visa. British authorities were extremely pleasent and the process was never a hassle. Perhaps that may have changed in recent times. Unfortunately, it is a small number of criminals traveling on Pakistani passports who have tarnished the image of the entire populace.
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Oct 07, 2009 06:05am
Unfortunately, the first thing most criminals do after they have committed an atrocity in the streets of London, Madrid or New York, is catch a PIA flight to Karachi/Lahore or Islamabad. Uzbeks, Arabs, Afghans are entering our country, killing our own citizens and roaming our streets at will without recourse. Saudis are fighting a holy war against the so called infidels and the battle ground is Pakistan.
If we can tighten our own immigration and strenthen our judicial system so that these people (mostly criminals in muslim garb) are swiftly and appropriatly punished, we can demonstrate to the world that Pakistan is not a safe haven afterall.
Maybe then and only then will we start earning respect in foreign immigration lines.
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Oct 07, 2009 07:19am
The interesting question is how many people involved in recent high profile terrorist attacks were actually holding Pakistani passports :)
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Oct 07, 2009 08:29am
Well !!! this is not only the behavior of Western world - this trend has also been picked up by most of Arab world countries even. It is pathetic to see this happen on every airport. There is a difference in security measures taken (screening methods) & humiliation; & what we, as Pakistanis, suffer from is not screening but humiliation at large especially from our brotherhood nations.
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Oct 07, 2009 09:21am
There is no doubt that treatment with Pakistanis all over the world is discriminating and insulting.......However, we also need to put our house in order.
For one reason or the other - fact is that we are moving in opposite direction. Few might argue that its a deliberate effort on part of various interested parties to let Pakistan continue on this backwards journey but in my opinion its not going to be in anyone's interest to put 170 Million people, with Nuclear Capabilities, to the wall.........
I think people should live and let us live too in harmony with other civilised people in the world........we should not be dealt as aliens or untouchables because results of this behaviour will not, ultimately, be in anyone's interest........
In my opinion rest of the world should actually work cloesly with 169.99999 M people to get rid of may be a very tiny redical element instead of stereotyping and considering all 170 M Pakistanis as terrorists and ultimately leaving them no choice but to start behaving like one..........
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Oct 07, 2009 10:12am
It is our Foreign ministry who does nothing. Ambassadors representing Pakistan in foreign countries are buddies of Government officials, and their duties are to plan recreation for these people.
When people don't know their job description, then these outcomes are expected.
People should be appointed based on their past performance, experience and skills.
These issues needs to be trimed down by dialogue and the other way is to give the same treatment to people from specific countries.
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Oct 07, 2009 11:15am
Timely and well written article.
Of cause all Pakistanis or Muslims are not terrorists, but unfortunately it seems that most of the terrorists are either Muslims or Pakistanis!
Unless and until our Government will not respect us and take care of us, we cannot expect the others to do so.
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Oct 07, 2009 12:06pm
AOA. I feel there is more to this exercise than what meets the eye.
Apparently, this has more to do with the frivolous impression that we as a nation and as individuals have created for ourselves. There is no point in emphasising the point that this did not happen in a day. This took years and years of consistency in patterns of behaviour that we demonstrated both in Pakistan as well as while being abroad. Afterall there were times that Passport alone wud suffice as a valid document to enter most countries of the world. Gradually the requirement of visa crept in followed by frank refuals and since 2001 deportations have also added to the list.
One wud find it hard to disagree that a vast majority from amongst us is always looking for shortcuts, starting from lotteries to fraudulent investment schemes(our own version of Bernie Madoff - Double Shah - is ranked amongst the top few ponzie runners of all times, fake visa and passport rackets and human smuggling, the list goes on and on till we reach the terrorism part ... we are found on both ends of the spectrum, perpetrators and sufferers.
This has made us darlings of security agencies, the world over. Of their declared slogan: Respect all-Suspect all, the first half is for almost every one else and the second half is exclusively our domain, for most part.
If we r looking to amend the situation then surely the key lies with us. Change our behavior and there shall also change... but once again, it shall be an endeavor requiring years of consistent demonstration of will and action on our part. After all, we all know that the proverbial Rome was not built in a day, truly we did not end up here in a day nor we shall get resurrected the same way.
In the end... of it were to be of any consolation... none of our state dignitories was ever humiliated as Mr. George Fernandez (former defence Minister) and Mr. Abul Kalam (former President of the republic) of India were, so we are still one up, or is it two up, to say !
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Oct 07, 2009 12:35pm
I personally see no change in this situation under the current system of governance - shammed democracy as its practiced in Pakistan......it will only be used by the powerful few to make foul of the masses and keep their control on all the resources.....Sugar and Flour scams are living examples of this. In an agrarian society, we are short of Sugar and Aata.......God bless us.
I am not against democracy - but this shammed democracy surely has no potential and even sincerity by the people who excercise it to fix our issues........
We always heard it from our seniors but now I am also getting convinced that these unusual circumstanes in Pakistan could only be fixed through unusal means - may be INQALAB.....how?????? only God knows!
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Oct 07, 2009 12:55pm
Well written article. We definitely need to look into our own legal and judicial system.
We also need to look and investigate in foreign countries the immigrants who migrated in early sixties and seventies and were extrmelty rigid and had extreme ideas about religion. Even living in USA UK and scandavian countries wants to have their own fabricated religion into these countries. Then indeed some families do send their offsprings to madrassah in Pakistan where they become more rigid and anti west. How would these countries allows people to enter and settle in their countries and spread extemism and terrorizm. Let us all think, are we right what we are doing. Are immigrants in UK and USA and other countries would like to get into streamline and learn tolerance and co-existence. \
Culture needs to be defined. Should we believe that traditions, customs and rituals are culture. No. Not at all. What man is doing today and entering into new knowledge and conquering universe is culture. Your culture today is possessing cell phones, internet and TV and other technologies, either reject everything or accept and also be ready to accept fall outs and make plans to challenge those fall outs. We all need to think and ponder over our behavior patterns and should learn to live in today's world.
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Oct 07, 2009 01:06pm
I know this is frustrating but 70% of terror attacks across the world involve Pakistani or Pakistani origin people.
Pakistanis need to evaluate our own house before we start pointing fingers at others.
How much terror related activities can be seen across Pakistan targeting Pakistani or Foreign establaishments in Pakistan. The news travels fast and all the common people have to suffer.
Untill and unless Pakistanis take controll of their dsitiny , they will continue to suffer this fate
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Oct 07, 2009 01:14pm
AOA, I think in order to curb these kind of situations ,we need to change our mind set. We always think that no matter what we do we are always correct and true.
Let's take the example of Mr. Abdussattar Edhi , everyone acknowledges that he is a prominent figure in pakistan and world over for his charitable works but it doesnt mean that he has been granted a license that he can travel to any place on earth without having a valid visa or having an expired visa.MOreover he is published in the media as if he was innocent. Unlike our country , America has set an example of punishing even their president(B.Clinton) if he is found guilty.
I think we need to change our mindset and set good examples for the world if we are really serious about changing the way rest of the world think about ourselves.
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Oct 08, 2009 11:41am
Besides the being called terorist and all that , we cant do anything against it unless the goverment , foreign minintry take some steps , and expecting them to take some steps is to forget about it.
Now having ministry for overseas pakistanis aswell , they getting respect, so what about us the residents of Pakitan who holds no PR status of any country.
Secondly the other issue is this that our countrymen and also other south asians are the most illegal imigrants around the world in the west , europe middle east , africa and now the asia pacific.
i have been a student there and i came across thousands of Pakistanis illegally residing there talking advantage of Visa on arrival and now we are even deprived of that facility which was allowed to us in few countries so whos to blame?
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Oct 09, 2009 06:23am
Someone has referred to President Abdul Kalam being humiliated. Not sure what information you are quoting. HE was basically asked to be body searched. No-one mistreated or accused him in any form. HE was a retired President and he did not claim any diplomatic privilege - in other words , he did not actually mention who he was.
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Oct 11, 2009 07:33am
True. But you have to accept the way world perceives us - the south asians. The way forward is only to prove them wrong by our acts, deeds, behaviour and contribution to humanity. Just speaking about equal treatment will not help.
My personal opinion.
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Oct 13, 2009 03:32am
True. But you just look how Pakistan treats its minorities. plain and simple.
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Oct 20, 2009 03:40am
We have to build the economy so that it is not dependent on aid and our say will actually matter in the world.
Look at the example of China and compares its influence [laughable] in the eighties and now when the US treasury goes to China to plead for "trust" [$$$] in the US economy.
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