Thursday 28 January 2010

Pakistani Passports, British Intelligence And Al-CIAda

It is indeed overwhelming how the British lost a number of Pakistani passports recently. Nobody questions the British how they achieved this feat.

Obtaining a two-year British multiple entry visa already costs nearly Rs 29,000, while a ten year multiple visa cots upwards of 70,000. Add to that the humility of filling endless documents, and photocopies on 100-gram A4 sheets of paper with information going back to the time when dinosaurs ruled the world. Then throw in the possibility of having one’s application rejected on flimsy grounds. For most people, the re-application process costs them fantastic sums, not to mention the colossal waste of time attempting to get an appointment for submitting the application.

Our busy-with-terrorists government could not care less how the British High Commission fleeces the citizens in a humiliating manner. The British claim that the lost documents may end up in the hands of Al-CIAda terrorists, enabling them to travel incognito and commit terror worldwide.

Who do they think we are to believe this intelligence manoeuvre that will ensure these passports are misused to give Muslims a bad name everywhere? A number of lost travel documents had multiple visas of various Western countries stamped on them; these ‘could be easily tampered with for illegal air travel and immigration’.

“If terrorists get hold of these passports, they can alter them with the help of human-trafficking mafia and move freely to various countries, especially the US and UK, to carry out terror activities,” the sources said.

Last month, it British High Commission lost around 100 Pakistani passports submitted for obtaining visas while it was shifting operations to Abu Dubai owing to security risks here. British authorities have so far failed to provide the exact number or a plausible reason for the loss of the passports, causing trouble for applicants. There were also several students amongst the applicants.

As we all know too well, the poor students will be—in some future date—rounded up and accused of planning to ensure the fall of the London Bridge or of imagining to set the parliament building on fire. Since every child can sing ‘London Bridge is falling down’, they may as well imprison them all for being part of an ancient conspiracy to bring the darned structure down through loud singing.

Our students face dire threats and I would advise parents to think twice before blindly sending the apples of their eyes abroad to waste hard-earned money on useless paper degrees. They want your visa fees, the college tuition fees and then your children too. For what, you may ask?—why, to make old England a paradise on Earth at our expense.

Rob Murphy, a British spokesman told the media, “There are exaggerated stories about them but the exact number of the lost passports is less than 100. We are investigating the matter, but I cannot say anything about the conclusion of the probe.”

To a question about terrorists being able to use them for illegal purposes, Murphy said the high commission had already informed the visa applicants to get new passports and re-apply for their visas.

What a wonderful way of making the citizens go around in circles to satisfy the British crown’s wishes!

Diplomatic sources said more than 100,000 visas are still lying with the UK Border Agency, which now entertains visa applications from Pakistan. Even Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, in his meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband earlier this month, expressed frustration over the delays and demanded relaxation in the visa policy for Pakistanis.

Has our Prime Minister ever had his visa application rejected: his passport stolen or lost by the British: ever stand in a queue behind fifty ordinary mortals or do what he expects millions of Pakistanis to do without asking a question and out of their own shrinking pockets? The answer to all of these questions is a big fat no.

Sherwani-clad men like Gilani dart about in their swift official cars without caring to see what is happening all around. The British take unfair advantage of the situation because they know millions of Pakistani families live divided lives in England and Pakistan and need to travel, no matter what the cost or the odds.

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