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By Yogesh Naik, Mumbai Mirror | Updated: Oct 26, 2018, 11:20 IST
The move is a retaliation to Pakistan not allowing Indian engineers to work on the under-construction complex for Indian diplomats in Islamabad.
The Ministry of External Affairs has terminated Indian visas of the family of Muhammad Ahmed Barkazai, the Mumbai-based country manager of Pakistan International Airlines(PIA). Posted in India since 2016, Barkazai’s family has already gone back to Pakistan and the 46-year-old official is upset that his children’s education suffered despite multiple requests to let them stay till the end of the school year.
According to inside sources with knowledge of diplomatic communication between India and Pakistan, India withdrew the visas because Pakistan denied visas to Indian engineers working on the construction of a residential complex for Indian diplomats in Islamabad.
The visas for Barkazai’s children expired on May 18 and were never renewed. However, the family continued to stay in their Cuffe Parade apartment till September 20 and applied for the extension about eight times through various channels, including the Pakistan High Commission. Barkazai’s sons Faris, 12, and Waris, 8, studied in GD Somani School and his eldest son Ahmed Khan, 18, took private tuitions and is pursuing his O-level studies. Keen to give them an education in Mumbai, Barkazai is said to be disappointed with the state of affairs and also unhappy to not have his wife Rukhsana by his side in Mumbai.
With over two decades of experience, Barkazai was appointed as country manager for PIA on December 19, 2016. He was initially granted a visa for one year. When the visa expired, it was renewed for three months on two occasions. “While extending the last visa, which expired in March 2018, the MEA had informally conveyed that it would not be possible to extend the visas for his family members without any progress on the issue of visas to Indian engineers working on the residential complex for diplomats in Islamabad,” pointed out a reliable source. While Barkazai’s visa was extended till June 2018, his family’s visa was extended until April. The Pakistan embassy also requested that his stay in India be extended so that PIA operations could continue in the country.
(L) Muhammad Ahmed Barkazai
Thereafter, the Pakistan High Commission and Barkazai made representations to MEA. Though the visa for his family finally expired on May 18, further representations were made by Pakistan government in August and September. Finally, the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) told the family to fulfil exit formalities and leave India by September 21; they had to pay Rs 8,450 per member as fee for overstaying.
Barkazai made his younger sons leave the school saying that he had been transferred. The Barkazais have a house in Clifton area in Karachi and this was given out on rent. As the family was going back, the tenant was asked to vacate immediately. Faris, who was in Grade 6 in India, has got admission to Grade 8 in Karachi; Waris, who was in Grade 3, has now taken admission in Grade 4. Ahmed, however, could not appear for his O-level examinations in India as he had no visa.
When Mumbai Mirror reached out to Barkazai for a comment, he said, “I am sad that my family had to go back. They had a good time here. They did not leave India on their own, but circumstances forced them to leave.” According to local PIA officers, Barkazai is finding it difficult to live without his family. He is leaving for Karachi on Friday for a month and will have to keep flying between the two cities to see his children. The MEA spokesperson said that the ministry did not deal with this issue. The Ministry of Home Affairs spokesperson was not available for comment.
Source: https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com...of-pias-country-head/articleshow/66370699.cms
The move is a retaliation to Pakistan not allowing Indian engineers to work on the under-construction complex for Indian diplomats in Islamabad.
The Ministry of External Affairs has terminated Indian visas of the family of Muhammad Ahmed Barkazai, the Mumbai-based country manager of Pakistan International Airlines(PIA). Posted in India since 2016, Barkazai’s family has already gone back to Pakistan and the 46-year-old official is upset that his children’s education suffered despite multiple requests to let them stay till the end of the school year.
According to inside sources with knowledge of diplomatic communication between India and Pakistan, India withdrew the visas because Pakistan denied visas to Indian engineers working on the construction of a residential complex for Indian diplomats in Islamabad.
The visas for Barkazai’s children expired on May 18 and were never renewed. However, the family continued to stay in their Cuffe Parade apartment till September 20 and applied for the extension about eight times through various channels, including the Pakistan High Commission. Barkazai’s sons Faris, 12, and Waris, 8, studied in GD Somani School and his eldest son Ahmed Khan, 18, took private tuitions and is pursuing his O-level studies. Keen to give them an education in Mumbai, Barkazai is said to be disappointed with the state of affairs and also unhappy to not have his wife Rukhsana by his side in Mumbai.
With over two decades of experience, Barkazai was appointed as country manager for PIA on December 19, 2016. He was initially granted a visa for one year. When the visa expired, it was renewed for three months on two occasions. “While extending the last visa, which expired in March 2018, the MEA had informally conveyed that it would not be possible to extend the visas for his family members without any progress on the issue of visas to Indian engineers working on the residential complex for diplomats in Islamabad,” pointed out a reliable source. While Barkazai’s visa was extended till June 2018, his family’s visa was extended until April. The Pakistan embassy also requested that his stay in India be extended so that PIA operations could continue in the country.
(L) Muhammad Ahmed Barkazai
Thereafter, the Pakistan High Commission and Barkazai made representations to MEA. Though the visa for his family finally expired on May 18, further representations were made by Pakistan government in August and September. Finally, the Foreigners Regional Registration Officer (FRRO) told the family to fulfil exit formalities and leave India by September 21; they had to pay Rs 8,450 per member as fee for overstaying.
Barkazai made his younger sons leave the school saying that he had been transferred. The Barkazais have a house in Clifton area in Karachi and this was given out on rent. As the family was going back, the tenant was asked to vacate immediately. Faris, who was in Grade 6 in India, has got admission to Grade 8 in Karachi; Waris, who was in Grade 3, has now taken admission in Grade 4. Ahmed, however, could not appear for his O-level examinations in India as he had no visa.
When Mumbai Mirror reached out to Barkazai for a comment, he said, “I am sad that my family had to go back. They had a good time here. They did not leave India on their own, but circumstances forced them to leave.” According to local PIA officers, Barkazai is finding it difficult to live without his family. He is leaving for Karachi on Friday for a month and will have to keep flying between the two cities to see his children. The MEA spokesperson said that the ministry did not deal with this issue. The Ministry of Home Affairs spokesperson was not available for comment.
Source: https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com...of-pias-country-head/articleshow/66370699.cms
