An Indian who moved to Pakistan

[Dance]

This blog post is a response to an article published in The Express Tribune by Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy titled:“Deepening the Pakistan-India divide.” Hence I address this to him.

Sir,

I know exactly how you feel. I have been feeling the same every year for the last 20 years when I go to seek a visa for India. I have to fill the same form which is ‘special’ for Pakistani Nationals (and it is the same for Indians in the Pakistan embassy).

I am not a professor like you who gets an invite and a letter to give a lecture at some university. Nor am I an artist who gets to show a business contract for facilitating the visa. In both these cases, to be able to get an Indian visa is much easier than it is for me.

I am an ordinary Pakistani who wants to visit my relatives in India. And every year the daunting question arises:

What if I do not get the visa?

Days before I fill up the forms, my soul shudders with this fear.

But then, why do I want to go to India so desperately each year? No, I do not want to visit some old relatives whom I got separated from during the partition, nor do I want to see my ‘virtual’ friend or my distant cousins who I reconnected with on Facebook or Twitter.

No, Sir. I seek a visa to visit my parents and brothers. You read it correct – my parents.

It was 20 years ago by the stroke of fate I guess, I chose to marry a Mr Right. And in that youthful enthusiasm perhaps, I chose to deliberately to ignore that he wasn’t an Indian like me, but a Pakistani. And after having got married I also deliberately chose to take the Pakistani passport knowing that it would be the most practical solution for my family. I have no regrets for either of the decisions I took.

However, each year that I wish to visit my parents I have to stand in the same queue as any ordinary Pakistani would, furnishing the same documents and details, facing the same scrutiny without being given an iota of consideration that I am Indian-born, and bred in New Delhi for 24 years – an Indian who graduated from a premier medical school in New Delhi.

Sir, I would also like to let you know that my parents aren’t any Indians who’s credentials are hazy or in doubt. Both my parents have retired as professors from Delhi University and are well-known vocal secular individuals. But this does not matter to those who have the authority to grant a visa. To them, I am just a passport number holding a Pakistani nationality.

If my husband travels frequently to India with me, he is taken aside by the non-uniformed personnel in Pakistan, who ask why there are so many India visa stamps on his passport. If I do not travel for three years in a row, the Indian authorities say they need a fresh inquiry about me and that it will take any amount of time, between three months to any unspecified duration for my visa to be approved.

Honestly, I have not had much disappointment in obtaining a visa (though at times I have waited several months), barring the time when the Kargil dispute was fresh. This does not happen because of any procedural ease, but because a resourceful relative managedto push for it in the right place. And during the Kargil time, not even the contacts were willing to help.

The visa officers are generally very kind, I must admit. They often sympathise with me, and express their helplessness regarding the matter. Their hands are “tied” they say. And of course, it is a serious “security matter”, I am told.

Over the years, I have seen that the visa procedures take sinusoidal patterns. At times all seems well and the whole process is smooth-sailing. But then some political trigger offsets the whole process, resetting it from the start.

There are many such women like me, but a lot less fortunate, for whom the idea to get a visa to go and see their parents is no less than a dream. For many women, due to financial constraints, the idea to go up to Islamabad from Karachi, to even ‘try’ for a visa is a great ordeal. Many of them have barely seen their parents more than two or three times in the last two to three decades of their marriage.

And no one seems to hear their silent wails.

An Indian who moved to Pakistan – The Express Tribune Blog

 

[RoYaL~GuJJaR]

There ain't going to be any solution for this, not in coming 2 decades for sure!!

You should have thought about all this before getting married to a pakistani,you choose to be a pakistani by choice for Mr Right so you should have also thought to be treated like one! simple!

All this is official procedure on both sides nothing surprising!

 

[kingkobra]

Now that she is pakistani she should be treated as all other common pakistanis are treated when it comes to india visa...i don't think she should be given any special treatment..

 

[Rafi]

This blog post is a response to an article published in The Express Tribune by Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy titled:“Deepening the Pakistan-India divide.” Hence I address this to him.

Sir,

I know exactly how you feel. I have been feeling the same every year for the last 20 years when I go to seek a visa for India. I have to fill the same form which is ‘special’ for Pakistani Nationals (and it is the same for Indians in the Pakistan embassy).

I am not a professor like you who gets an invite and a letter to give a lecture at some university. Nor am I an artist who gets to show a business contract for facilitating the visa. In both these cases, to be able to get an Indian visa is much easier than it is for me.

I am an ordinary Pakistani who wants to visit my relatives in India. And every year the daunting question arises:

What if I do not get the visa?

Days before I fill up the forms, my soul shudders with this fear.

But then, why do I want to go to India so desperately each year? No, I do not want to visit some old relatives whom I got separated from during the partition, nor do I want to see my ‘virtual’ friend or my distant cousins who I reconnected with on Facebook or Twitter.

No, Sir. I seek a visa to visit my parents and brothers. You read it correct – my parents.

It was 20 years ago by the stroke of fate I guess, I chose to marry a Mr Right. And in that youthful enthusiasm perhaps, I chose to deliberately to ignore that he wasn’t an Indian like me, but a Pakistani. And after having got married I also deliberately chose to take the Pakistani passport knowing that it would be the most practical solution for my family. I have no regrets for either of the decisions I took.

However, each year that I wish to visit my parents I have to stand in the same queue as any ordinary Pakistani would, furnishing the same documents and details, facing the same scrutiny without being given an iota of consideration that I am Indian-born, and bred in New Delhi for 24 years – an Indian who graduated from a premier medical school in New Delhi.

Sir, I would also like to let you know that my parents aren’t any Indians who’s credentials are hazy or in doubt. Both my parents have retired as professors from Delhi University and are well-known vocal secular individuals. But this does not matter to those who have the authority to grant a visa. To them, I am just a passport number holding a Pakistani nationality.

If my husband travels frequently to India with me, he is taken aside by the non-uniformed personnel in Pakistan, who ask why there are so many India visa stamps on his passport. If I do not travel for three years in a row, the Indian authorities say they need a fresh inquiry about me and that it will take any amount of time, between three months to any unspecified duration for my visa to be approved.

Honestly, I have not had much disappointment in obtaining a visa (though at times I have waited several months), barring the time when the Kargil dispute was fresh. This does not happen because of any procedural ease, but because a resourceful relative managedto push for it in the right place. And during the Kargil time, not even the contacts were willing to help.

The visa officers are generally very kind, I must admit. They often sympathise with me, and express their helplessness regarding the matter. Their hands are “tied” they say. And of course, it is a serious “security matter”, I am told.

Over the years, I have seen that the visa procedures take sinusoidal patterns. At times all seems well and the whole process is smooth-sailing. But then some political trigger offsets the whole process, resetting it from the start.

There are many such women like me, but a lot less fortunate, for whom the idea to get a visa to go and see their parents is no less than a dream. For many women, due to financial constraints, the idea to go up to Islamabad from Karachi, to even ‘try’ for a visa is a great ordeal. Many of them have barely seen their parents more than two or three times in the last two to three decades of their marriage.

And no one seems to hear their silent wails.

An Indian who moved to Pakistan – The Express Tribune Blog

Our sister is very lucky to become a citizen and she is learning the nature of the entity to the east, that she used to be a citizen of.

 

[Rafi]

Our sister is very lucky to become a citizen and she is learning the nature of the entity to the east, that she used to be a citizen of.

She made the right choice and is most welcome as a citizen of Pakistan, my brothers wife also decided to become a joint national - she already has Canadian nationality. And most of her family is in Canada and in the UK. But she was lucky when her grandmother (who has since sadly passed away) was sick she used her Canadian nationality to visit indian Punjab.

 

[Pakistanisage]

I am sorry for your predicament and i hope the situation eases for you. As for the the MEAN comments by the Indians on this thread, I am not surprised. Normal and expected reaction by mean and ornery comments by people without slightest shred of humanity in them. They operate at only HATE level and view anything pertaining to Pakistan with those hateful eyes.

You can only feel sorry for these sorry @$$ people for their lack of humanity. What a way to live ?

 

[Hulk]

Dude I empathize with him, Indians fear that terrorist or spies might come in the name of civil citizens hence they overreact at times. The times are changing fast and Indians and Pakistani's are getting to have better relationship. I wish him better luck and hope that future generations see better relationships between two countries.
It is sad but true common man suffers because of this stupid animosity between two countries. I feel we overdo when we are expressing dislike, both sides have good human beings.

---------- Post added at 12:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:00 PM ----------

did you forget that we set free your 90000 soldiers in 1971 , we could have killed them.

and please don't talk about pakistanies being generous , a country which lives on american aid can't have generous people

Can you please stop your rant.

 

[Polemos]

Well Booo Hooo. This woman seems to suggest that she should get special treatment because
1) she lived in new delhi for 24 years
2) she graduated from a premier medical school
3) Her parents are college profs.

Married a Pakistani? Tuf Luck. India wont make an exception for you. Ditto for US and Dr. kalam.

 

[Tamil Arasan]

If a person takes the citizen ship of another country they have to go through the same procedure of getting visa to come to India - there can't be any exception either she took Pakistan citizenship or American citizenship...

That is the reason the the world sixth richest person Laxmi Mittla in-spite of all his business empire out side India and mostly reside in UK - yet he holds the Indian passport just to make sure he don't have to go through the hassle of getting Indian visa...Now she is one lady but I have many of my relatives in Singapore and Malaysia and they have to go throw the same procedure of visa hassle when they come to India to meet us for any family functions, I believe any country in the world will follow the same procedure while issuing their country visa to an another country citizen, they don't see their parents credential while issuing a visa...

 

[sachin@india]

I am feeling sad for her...

 

[53fd]

This is my mother's story, born & raised Indian, but surrendered her citizenship & became Pakistani in 1979 when she married my Dad. She has no regrets about it either. She loved it here in Karachi & Islamabad, & she calls Karachi her home. My grandmother (recently) & grandfather have passed away, so my mother has less urgency to visit India now. But she visited India many times when they were living, & my grandparents & my mother's siblings visited Pakistan a few times as well. It is generally much easier for an Indian to get Pakistani citizenship than vice versa. My mother got her citizenship in less than a year I believe, but if a Pakistani woman marries an Indian, it takes many many years, & you might still not get citizenship, only a visit visa.

 

[53fd]

Reading the comments below made by Indians on the ET blog piece was even more interesting. Without even experiencing Pakistan besides listening to Indian TV, they really think Pakistan is Afghanistan, & India is some Western country. I know many Indian women that have become Pakistani citizens, & they thank their lucky stars everyday that they don't have to live in India anymore.

 

[Humanist]

I too think we should mind our business... we should live in our country and they should live in theirs... no need of aman ka tamasa... Drama of Visa and MFN's should be banned forever..

 

[Rafi]

I bet that sister is thanking her lucky stars that she is a Pakistani citizen.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Some people were just asking for a 'WMD style ban action'.

Stick to the topic without denigrating another nation and its people please, or more will follow.