AIRPORTS HASSLE - FAZOOL MEHKMAY

[jokingjustice]

AIRPORT HASSLES

October 03, 2026



Learned Dr. Haroon Bakari from Jamshoro on the increasing complaints of offloading has suggested FIA to establish pre-clearance arrangement same like it had Facilitation Counters in some of the cities (DAWN September 22, 2026).



2. Having served 43 long years in officer Police Uniform in a Ministry level office abroad, I find this suggestion, not forgetting the general society we today live in, most risky and dangerous the situation emerging then perhaps later FIA itself may not control. Learned Dr. Haroon adds that his proposal is not expensive nor unprecedented as Pakistan already follows a similar model through the Protector registration for Overseas Pakistan before departure abroad.



3. Decades back an Editorial diagnosed that we have a national habit to make an enquiry committee, over it a super committee, over that a commission, then a super commission, then a JIT and over that a judicial commission with only real aim to kill the time. Likewise we have since few decades adopted another habit creating new under different labels "فضول محکمے" only to provide jobs to the left over dear ones.



4. The Banks from abroad sent remittances to the SBP. System faced never any problem but to post some dear ones, a new Pakistan Remittances Initiative was created within the same SBP building. Before remittances came in the computers of SBP foreign exchange, now it started landing in computers of PRI, rested for some 10-15 minutes from where these were like old system forwarded to the concerned commercial banks. This 10-15 minute landing and rest is calculated and presented to show how PRI collected remittances for the country whereas practically there is Zero share of it. Stock Exchange dividends smoothly came to homes or direct to bank accounts since decades. A "فضول " Central Depository System was created to provide jobs. Now Dividends lands in this office from where these are forwarded to the shareholders bank accounts. Since 10-15 years I have not received even a single dividend since establishment of this "فضول " This فضول did not help me to know where are my dividends since 10 years as I am not aware of. A Grievance Commissioner for Overseas Pakistanis was established. What I personally experienced it received complaints which after some rest to those are forwarded to the Federal Ombudsman Regional Offices for disposal at their end. Then what is the use of this high expense post office?



5. One such "فضول " is Protector of Emigrants which learned Dr. Haroon terms as Model in protecting the Overseas Pakistanis. Dr. Haroon Bakri is a highly qualified learned Professor in the University of Sindh, but I would with much respects say his knowledge about Protector is weak.



6. In front of my Flat balcony here in Bahrain there is only one building facing it. Crossing this Building in one minute, I am on the main double road which in effect is a main junction. side of the junction is a small garden type open large space. Around 05.00 am when it is still dark people start gathering in about 2,000 with their professional kits here. These are Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis, Nepalis, Iranian etc comprising plumbers, masons, painters, electricians. There are other places too for such gatherings. Seeing an approaching car slowing down dozens run towards it when driver through window says one plumber, two masons. 15-20 try to enter the car pushing and hurting each other. This gathering remains there till midday after which they go home.



7. Dr. Haroon these are all those who had arrived here, and in other middle east countries, holding a valid and Confirmed Job Offer before leaving Pakistan, India, Bangladesh. These all after their respective Embassies here attestation of these Offers and Protectors in their respective country stamped those OK have arrived but all doing petty illegal jobs. Dr. Haroon no science or a Ph.d is required to understand in presence of this thousands locally on cheap rate availability, why whould companies or employers today import from Pakistan, India involving huge recruitment costs, annual air ticket, their accommodation, treatment expenses etc. In simple words Dr, Haroon the naked truth is 80% of these Offers though legally are “valid” papers but in effect had no real jobs mentioned in those Offers available and those who purchase here in middle east such Offers on huge fees (commonly visa purchase) well in advance know this face



8. Received Job Offers are submitted in Pakistan to the Protector with a huge Fee in advance. The Office only and only check if salary and other terms mentioned in the Offer meet the minimum requirements fixed by the Government of Pakistan. After this scrutiny the Passport is stamped with Protector’s stamp.



9. What protection? Once having got his passport stamped one comes out of the office of Protector, the Protector has not whatsoever contact ever with the person whom ten minute ago charged heavily for “protection”. There is not even a single, I repeat a single, case known where the Protector had provided any protection to an Overseas Pakistan after having charged. Due to too old age I can’t trace a very old letter to me signed by this office confirming that after stamping, the office had no contact with the one it stamped. So the office does not where one is, alive or dead, what protection it can provde.



10. Universally one is advised that during an international travel one should keep his expired/old passport for two years. This is not a law but general advice for trouble free travel. I worked for 42 years dealing with almost all European embassies for ministerial official and top executives private visas. Old passport help sometime at foreign airport to satisfy the immigration officer there. After two years this old passport is not needed. At our airport sthe biggest harassments is both to departing and arriving illiterate type Overseas Pakistanis who are hauled up to prodce protector stamp which may be on 10 years old passport or 25 years old. This old got three labour class got refunded money taken from them on this account but those were good time when Dr. Shahid Masood had not yet started saying this system has failed.



11. Dr. Haroon would recall early 2025 large scale offloading started. Initially through v-logs it was learnt authorities wanted an Affidavit from G-18 Officer that he certifies and undertakes that the passenger after reaching destination would come back to Pakistan and not proceed from there to any further destination. Did one hear any official statement on this v-loggers warning? Certainly not. Two three lawyers he took cases to courts, were heard on youtube v-logs saying that if one had Rs. 1 to 1.50 lac he had no problem in proceeding hassle free. The present position is if Dr. Haroon on a visit visa; say go to Australia to see a brother or a cousin, knowing his qualification a good job in a university there is offered, he accepts it, he would be in trouble at our airport on holiday arrival. Either he would be booked or he would have to empty his weight on the ground he went abroad on a job with protector. Two were offloaded on the allegation that they were proceeding Malaysia in search of job not on visit. The LHC ordered FIA to endorse reason of offloading in writing but, as is usual even with our courts, the real point was ignored by the court. The court failed to ask the offloading authority to produce which Law of Pakistan prohibited one from going abroad “in search of job”. My child right from L.K.G to University got education in Bahrain. Got job in a Ministry. In the “interpretation” of our airports authorities my child had got employment illegally whereas Pakistan law only read “anyone going on employment or holding a confirmed offer” would be required to register with the Protector.



12. Protector model new set up or pre-clearance counters have no relevance to the situation people face. Flt Lt (retd) Khaqan Murtaza, the then DG CAA in a Senate Standing Committee briefing, explicitly criticized airport agencies—including Customs, Immigration (FIA), the Airport Security Force (ASF), and the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF)—by stating they "all have their eyes on passengers' money".



13. Dr. Haroon these “eyes” need to be operated upon not pre-clearance counters. The proposal of highly learned Professor for establishing pre-clearance counters or a new Protector model set up is like to stretch more the arms of the “eyes” and establishing one more فضول .