“My dear, you don’t have the right papers on you. What do you expect us to do? Break the law?”
The mustachioed immigration officer sat, lazily, back on his chair – his legs spread – puffing on a cigarette with wild abandon. I was in a small room whose door label read ‘Visas on Arrival’. An Italian man was fumbling through his documents on the black sofa in the corner. “I have it”, he cries in victory.
The immigration officer got up, walked over to the Italian and looked at his papers. With a smirk, he marched over to me and shoved the papers in my face. “You see, my dear, he has the right documents. Unlike you. If your friend doesn’t get me the right papers within an hour, I’m deporting you.”
Two hours ago, I had arrived in Lahore, Pakistan. The plane was 30 minutes late and I was worrying about my friends who were waiting for me. Business visas on arrival were de rigeur for a select group of nationalities and as per their website, one merely had to furnish one of three documents. To my unpleasant surprise, the immigration officers were insisting that they had to have a specific document. “But your official website states-” I protested, only to be shouted down by Mr Moustache.
Panic had seeped into my confidence at the thought of having a ‘Deported’ stamp in my passport. This would certainly not do. Between the four immigration officers who entered and exited the room, it seemed that hope was not in my arsenal of emotions. Perhaps they were unsure of what to do with me. I was quite obviously not someone who was going to try and enter the country illegally (who would?). So, the waiting game began.
I called my friend but could not get through on his phone. Frustrating. Finally, I called the chap who was waiting for me outside (even he could not get hold of my friend). He spoke to Mr Moustache who gave a grandstanding performance, alternating between a holier-than-thou imam quoting passages from the Koran and a well-trained member of the Gestapo. His language was downright patronising, sneering in fact, shrouded in faux professionalism. I felt sorry for the chap at the other end – being shouted at is no fun. I should know because every time another poor tourist came into the room, Mr Moustache would grab the opportunity to shout at me as though I was some criminal – repeating the same phrases like a mantra. How on earth could I expect him to do something like breaking the law? Why would I not have the sense to bring the right documents.
It dawned on me after the first hour, that he (together with his friends) were playing a game. Taunt the frog. See how long it takes before it jumps. The reward? Money. In between flights, when it became quiet, each one would come in at different times – adopting a friendly stance and saying things like “It’s such a shame you will have to be deported. I might be able to help you. However, it will cost you.”
Well, what was I to do? I was at their mercy. I had spent enough money getting there, and I had a job to do. So, I paid out. In the end, it wasn’t a terrible lot – probably about US$70. And still, they kept me waiting. For another hour.
The assistant director came in to say goodbye to his colleagues at the end of his shift and was shocked that I was still there. He came over and asked to see my documents. I explained again and told him my story. He looked surprised at the wording of ‘Any’ rather than ‘All’ documents. He took my printouts and went to check. Five minutes later, he said my visa would be processed. Although they were used to receiving the other documents, the wording on the website was clear, he said. Of course, when his minions got around to writing out the visa (25 minutes for a credit card-sized slip!!!), they added 300% to the fee. I know this for a fact because I had the printout from their website in my hand. Still, after four and a half hours, I had had enough of their games and just wanted to leave the airport.
Just before 6am, I skipped out of customs to meet my very relieved greeter (after having to pay the luggage guys for ‘looking after’ my bags). Already economically-depressed, suffering from bad publicity the world over, and in need of more tourists, one would think that they would treat people like me better. If it is the government employees who are corrupt and greedy, then what hope is there for the little man?
I came out to a crisp morning of a public shutdown. Cricket-star-turned-politician, Imran Khan, had asked his supporters to ‘shut down’ business all day as a sign of protest against government corruption and electoral fraud. Whilst it is designed to stymie the government, it actually hurt the pockets of the ones who mattered most – the poor and the small traders.
The shutdown (which became slightly violent in parts) meant that all my activities for the day had to be cancelled. It was a small blessing for me as I needed to recover after my immigration adventure. However, it meant that I would have to cram 3 days of activities into the following 2 days.
The following day, a terrible terrorist attack and bomb blast in a Peshawar school killed nearly 150 people, most of whom were children. The Taliban claimed responsibility. This is an atrociously callous act and absolutely NOTHING can justify it.
With all these things happening around you every day, it is easy to become desensitized, or to live constantly in fear. Most people I know (granted, in Western countries) would just pack it in and say “Stuff it, I’m leaving”. Well, it isn’t easy to leave – not when you have roots and ties. Or when other countries look at any attempt to enter their borders as suspicious. What was interesting to note was that the Pakistanis had plenty of passion. They were not afraid to air their feelings or emotions about what they felt was right or wrong. That’s why Imran Khan had plenty of supporters for the shutdown. That’s why people were spilling out on the streets mourning publicly for the Peshawari school victims. That’s why vigils and protests were held. Despite the great odds facing them, they still held on to hope. I hope their hope continues.
The author flew to Pakistan on Qatar Airways.