Jokingjustice
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August 04, 2021
Talking with the evening talk show Pakistan Tonight 02 July, 2021 Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, boosting as usual his sympathies towards the common man, said that as the then Minister for Overseas Pakistanis knowing well how costly it was to repatriate a dead body from abroad than a passenger ticket, the first step on taking oath as the then Minister for Overseas Pakistanis “ordered” repatriation of Pakistanis dead bodies free of charge. There can’t be more day light lies than this one.
2. I am today 75 diabetic having lost an eye in operation. In 2007 the neighborhood fire much engulfed my house too destroying a lot household including much of my old record. Hence I will be unable to give any material reference except with some struggle some pieces.
3. The story is that in 1970s and 1980s in the Gulf region, Gulf Air was the only airline giving incentive of 10 kgs extra free baggage to passengers travelling to Karachi. Then Gulf Air touched only Karachi. The second was Lufthana which gave 40 kgs baggage on its flights Bahrain/Karachi.
4. From all over the world more specifically from within the Gulf States, Pakistanis cried at different forums requesting PIA same 10 kgs extra baggage allowance but no one listened. The so called Overseas Pakistanis Foundation remained deaf on the issue.
5. As said, I can’t refer to the old record, but it was somewhere early 1990s that the Pashtun community in Dubai resolved in a community gathering that in case PIA did not accept the community’s three demands by the given target date it would boycott PIA. The three demands were viz 10 kgs extra baggage, free transportation of dead bodies of the community and a direct flight to Peshawar. A small news item about it appeared in Daily Khaleej Times carried next day by some Pakistani newspapers. Unlike today, in Dubai then were mostly illiterate Pashtuns. Knowing well, unlike other Pakistani communities, what does a collective community decision of this community meant, Pakistan Ambassador to UAE who was on leave to Pakistan, rushed back to Dubai.
6. In the negotiations 10 kgs extra and dead bodies transportation was agreed. For the third demand viz direct PIA flight to Peshawar the community was told that it involved reciprocity between the two Civil Aviations and the Government would on top priority approach the UAE authorities.
7. Due to legal intricacies, however, while implanting the two agreed decisions, the word “community” was replaced to read as the “Overseas Pakistanis” living in UAE not just the one single named community. Overseas Pakistanis in other Gulf States again cried but the above incentives were not extended to them. PIA Regional General Manager on expense of debit ridden PIA took a long tour of the middle east countries under the label of “promotion of PIA”. During his address to the Pakistani Community in the Dinner in the Pakistan Club Bahrain, on PIAs expense, the visiting Regional General Manager refused to accept the demands when the then Chairman Club in his return address openly stated that the GM was not on “promotional tour” but on a PIA damaging tour and the Club minuted this observation thing into its next month monthly newsletter.
8. A few at this stage approached the Federal Ombudsman when a two page article in the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation monthly House Journal “Yaran-e-Watan” appeared stating that PIA had agreed to extend the 10 kgs extra baggage facility in other gulf states. With this press cutting in hand, when I next travelled to Pakistan, PIA Bahrain refused to accept it and did not allow me extra 10 kgs. The Federal Ombudsman ordered PIA to compensate me for the loss I suffered due to this.
9. At this stage, PIA extended the facility of dead bodies transportation to Overseas Pakistanis working all over the world wherever PIA touched.
10. At no stage Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed was in this struggle nor was he then the Minister for Overseas Pakistanis when the facility on boycott threat from Pashtun community in Dubai was allowed. As said above due to my old age, case being too old and fire damage to my house, I can still find only a few record of all these proceedings but the case is definitely available in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs containing diplomatic notes on the issue from the Pakistan Embassy. The fact is Sheikh Rashed Ahmed though is always ready to open his mouth about Overseas Pakistanis, he has practically done nothing. When Nawaz Sharif imposed a heavy “tax” on the Overseas Pakistanis in the name of separate English ID Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP), first time in the history not just the Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested on this move, take a step more its Joint Secretary personally went to Ministry of Interior to advise against this step. Sheikh Rasheed as Overseas Pakistanis Ministry and worthless Overseas Pakistanis Foundation remained tight lipped. Recently rather than catching those who were selling @ Rs. 500 per passport copy of arriving Overseas Pakistanis, Imran Khan en-bloc imposed customs duty on Mobile even in the hand of an Overseas Pakistani making Pakistan the only country in the world, Sheikh Rasheed did not speak even a word on this cruelty.
11. Sheikh Rasheed claims that “he ordered”, is ridiculous as Sheikh Rasheed had, then and never ever, any jurisdiction over PIA. This incentive for Overseas Pakistanis involved a lot of financial loss to the PIA and an Overseas Pakistanis Minister never had or has such a power to cause such a loss. It was the PIA Board which approved it and all the history of it is lying in the Ministry of Finance not at all in the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis. OPF’s role was a silent spectator enjoying good salaries and perks from the exclusive deposits of Overseas Pakistanis themselves and quite shameful.
Talking with the evening talk show Pakistan Tonight 02 July, 2021 Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, boosting as usual his sympathies towards the common man, said that as the then Minister for Overseas Pakistanis knowing well how costly it was to repatriate a dead body from abroad than a passenger ticket, the first step on taking oath as the then Minister for Overseas Pakistanis “ordered” repatriation of Pakistanis dead bodies free of charge. There can’t be more day light lies than this one.
2. I am today 75 diabetic having lost an eye in operation. In 2007 the neighborhood fire much engulfed my house too destroying a lot household including much of my old record. Hence I will be unable to give any material reference except with some struggle some pieces.
3. The story is that in 1970s and 1980s in the Gulf region, Gulf Air was the only airline giving incentive of 10 kgs extra free baggage to passengers travelling to Karachi. Then Gulf Air touched only Karachi. The second was Lufthana which gave 40 kgs baggage on its flights Bahrain/Karachi.
4. From all over the world more specifically from within the Gulf States, Pakistanis cried at different forums requesting PIA same 10 kgs extra baggage allowance but no one listened. The so called Overseas Pakistanis Foundation remained deaf on the issue.
5. As said, I can’t refer to the old record, but it was somewhere early 1990s that the Pashtun community in Dubai resolved in a community gathering that in case PIA did not accept the community’s three demands by the given target date it would boycott PIA. The three demands were viz 10 kgs extra baggage, free transportation of dead bodies of the community and a direct flight to Peshawar. A small news item about it appeared in Daily Khaleej Times carried next day by some Pakistani newspapers. Unlike today, in Dubai then were mostly illiterate Pashtuns. Knowing well, unlike other Pakistani communities, what does a collective community decision of this community meant, Pakistan Ambassador to UAE who was on leave to Pakistan, rushed back to Dubai.
6. In the negotiations 10 kgs extra and dead bodies transportation was agreed. For the third demand viz direct PIA flight to Peshawar the community was told that it involved reciprocity between the two Civil Aviations and the Government would on top priority approach the UAE authorities.
7. Due to legal intricacies, however, while implanting the two agreed decisions, the word “community” was replaced to read as the “Overseas Pakistanis” living in UAE not just the one single named community. Overseas Pakistanis in other Gulf States again cried but the above incentives were not extended to them. PIA Regional General Manager on expense of debit ridden PIA took a long tour of the middle east countries under the label of “promotion of PIA”. During his address to the Pakistani Community in the Dinner in the Pakistan Club Bahrain, on PIAs expense, the visiting Regional General Manager refused to accept the demands when the then Chairman Club in his return address openly stated that the GM was not on “promotional tour” but on a PIA damaging tour and the Club minuted this observation thing into its next month monthly newsletter.
8. A few at this stage approached the Federal Ombudsman when a two page article in the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation monthly House Journal “Yaran-e-Watan” appeared stating that PIA had agreed to extend the 10 kgs extra baggage facility in other gulf states. With this press cutting in hand, when I next travelled to Pakistan, PIA Bahrain refused to accept it and did not allow me extra 10 kgs. The Federal Ombudsman ordered PIA to compensate me for the loss I suffered due to this.
9. At this stage, PIA extended the facility of dead bodies transportation to Overseas Pakistanis working all over the world wherever PIA touched.
10. At no stage Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed was in this struggle nor was he then the Minister for Overseas Pakistanis when the facility on boycott threat from Pashtun community in Dubai was allowed. As said above due to my old age, case being too old and fire damage to my house, I can still find only a few record of all these proceedings but the case is definitely available in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs containing diplomatic notes on the issue from the Pakistan Embassy. The fact is Sheikh Rashed Ahmed though is always ready to open his mouth about Overseas Pakistanis, he has practically done nothing. When Nawaz Sharif imposed a heavy “tax” on the Overseas Pakistanis in the name of separate English ID Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP), first time in the history not just the Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested on this move, take a step more its Joint Secretary personally went to Ministry of Interior to advise against this step. Sheikh Rasheed as Overseas Pakistanis Ministry and worthless Overseas Pakistanis Foundation remained tight lipped. Recently rather than catching those who were selling @ Rs. 500 per passport copy of arriving Overseas Pakistanis, Imran Khan en-bloc imposed customs duty on Mobile even in the hand of an Overseas Pakistani making Pakistan the only country in the world, Sheikh Rasheed did not speak even a word on this cruelty.
11. Sheikh Rasheed claims that “he ordered”, is ridiculous as Sheikh Rasheed had, then and never ever, any jurisdiction over PIA. This incentive for Overseas Pakistanis involved a lot of financial loss to the PIA and an Overseas Pakistanis Minister never had or has such a power to cause such a loss. It was the PIA Board which approved it and all the history of it is lying in the Ministry of Finance not at all in the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis. OPF’s role was a silent spectator enjoying good salaries and perks from the exclusive deposits of Overseas Pakistanis themselves and quite shameful.
