At 5.15 p.m. June 4, I stopped at Plaza, in front of the Polani Motors on Karachi’s busiest thoroughfare, the M.A. Jinnah Road, to have my car’s electric window repaired. Soon, I was mobbed by some seven to eight people, who insisted that I get some door rubbers installed. I refused but they started the work nevertheless.

Quickly, I found myself trapped, with these people doing all sorts of work on the car, not listening to my command, directions and pleadings. These people had me so placed that I could not run, scream or phone anybody, even though I was on the busiest road of Karachi. By all means, I was held hostage by them.

Then it was crunch time. Their boss handed me small piece of paper. It was a bill for Rs25,600. He literally ordered me to pay. Yes! You read it correctly, Rs25,600 for work I did not order and I did not know anything about — for installing some rubbers on the doors.

Their boss ordered me to get to the nearest ATM and pay the amount. There are several ATMs in and around Plaza but I stalled. The heavily-guarded portion of Abdullah Haroon Road was my safest bet. I told him, albeit correctly, that my bank was located near the Metropole Hotel and I could not withdraw the amount from One Link ATMs. This was not true, of course.

The head honcho, with a menacing look on his face, sat on the passenger seat of my car, while his colleague sat in the seat behind me as we drove to the ABN-Amro Bank near the US Consulate-General. I told the two to stay seated, inserted my card in the door and entered the bank.

I alerted the bank guards and officials and rang up my editor. I also tried 15, which nobody picked. Soon the police arrived and the two men in my car were escorted to the Artillery Maidan Police Station, in front of the Governor’s House. There our crime reporter handled the issue. The agony was finally over.

I learnt that a gang was operating at the Plaza and had robbed several people, charging, in one case Rs40,000 for installing door rubbers. I have heard of three similar cases. In one instance they went to the victim’s house to get the money. I was indeed lucky.

There are currently many more members of the gang who are still at large. It would be a good idea to inform your friends and colleagues to avoid the area.

Source: http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=117164

VISA TO PAKISTAN

The Scene : Two Top American Executives at IBM Offices in United

States

Year: 2030

Alex: Hi John. You didn't come to work yesterday.

John: Yeah. I was at the Pakistani Embassy trying to get my visa.

Alex: Oh, really? What happened? I've heard that these days they

have become very strict.

John: Yeah, but I managed to get it.

Alex: How long did it take to get it stamped?

John: Man, it was a long queue. Bill Gates was waiting in front of

me and they really gave him a hard time. The poor guy even brought

the property papers for his house in Seattle to show them that he

will return to USA. I went there at 4:00 a.m. to get in the queue and

there were tons of people ahead of me.

Alex: Really? In Pakistan, at the US Embassy it only takes an hour

to get a visa for USA.

John: Yeah! But that's because no one in Pakistan would want to come

to USA, except Americans who have taken Pakistani nationality and

want to bring their kids here.

Alex: So, when are you leaving?

John: As soon as I get my tickets from the company in Pakistan. I'm

so excited. I will be getting a chance to finally fly with the

world's fastest growing airline, Pakistan International Airlines

(PIA). Sort of dream come true, you know.

Alex: How long are you planning to stay in Pakistan?

John: What do you mean "how long?" I will try and settle in

Pakistan. My company has promised me that they will process my Green

Book as soon as possible.

Alex: Really? Man, you're lucky. It's very difficult to get the

Green Book in Pakistan. Last year my cousin and his family went there

on a tourist visa and they're not coming back now.

John: Yeah. That's why I'm planning on marrying a Pakistani girl

there and then sponsoring my parents and my brother and sister from

New York to Pakistan.

Alex: But I hear you can find lots of good American girls in Karachi

and Lahore.

John: Yeah, but I prefer Pakistani girls. They are so much more

superior to our girls.

Alex: What city are you going to?

John: Karachi. The company has a downtown office. Yeah, the salary

is good but the cost of living is quite high because of all the

people flocking to this high-tech mecca.

Alex: I hear the exchange rate is now $100 to a Rupee! That's just

too much. What about Rawalpindi and Islamabad? What are they like?

John: No idea. But they're cheaper than Karachi, which is the

world's headquarter for information technology now.

Alex: I hear the quality of life in Pakistan is incredible.

John: Yeah, man. You can buy a BMW for Rs.30,000, and a Mercedes for

less than Rs.45,000. But my dream is to purchase a Suzuki Turbo FX-

800 which costs roughly Rs.90,000. But what a sweet design, great

curves, and it purrs to the touch.

Alex: By the way, which company are you gonna work for?

John: Haji Jalal Puttarjee & Bros. Technologies, a pure Pakistani

conglomerate specialising in embedded software.

Alex: Man, you're so lucky to work for a pure Pakistani company.

They are really intelligent and unlike any American body shops that

have opened their fly-by-night outfits in Pakistan. The Pakistani

companies pay you even when you're on the bench. My friend, Paul

Allen, used his bench time to visit the Makran Coast, the most

gorgeous resort in Pakistan, I hear.

John: Yeah, man, you're right. I hope the US learns something from

them and follow in their footsteps. It seems all we do is borrow more

and more money from the Prime Commercial Bank.

Alex: How are you going to cope with their language?

John: I've been learning Urdu since my school days. I always dreamed

that one day I'll head for Pakistan ever since my uncle bought me

that T-Shirt from Islamia College. At the Consulate they tested my

proficiency in Urdu and were quite impressed by my score in U-FEL.

Alex: Boy! You're so damn lucky.

John: Yeah. I'll be travelling in the world's fastest train, Tezgam,

I'll be visiting the world's largest theme park in Changa Manga, and

I'll be visiting the famous Lollywood where I might meet the sons and

daughters of movie legends like Nadeem, Sultan Rahi, Anjuman, Reema

and the late babe, Barbra Sharif.

Alex: You know, the Pakistani President is scheduled to visit USA

next year and I hear that he may increase the number of employment

visas.

John: That's very true. Last month, their Labour Minister, Naswar

Khan Pakhtoon, visited the White House and donated Rs.20,000 for the

re-development of the World Trade Centre at Silicon Valley, and has

promised more if we follow the models of the fast developing high-

tech cities, Quetta and Peshawar. Bill Gates was lucky to have a

chance to meet him. Very lucky person.

Alex: Will you be calling on Dave? I hear that he has made it big

there and has a beautiful house on the Lyari River in Karachi.

John: Yeah, I'll be meeting him.

Alex: Anyway, nice chatting to you, John. Good luck, you lucky dog.

John: Yeah, and the same to you, Alex. By the way, don't ever go to

the Pakistani Consulate in the Pakistani local dress because they

will think you're too Pakistanised and may doubt that you will ever

come back, and your application will be rejected. And yes, don't

forget to say to the Visa Officer politely: "Asalam-o-Alaikum. " It

will show them you're a cultured person.

Highlights of Economic Survey of Pakistan 2007-08.pdf (209.67 kb)

Pakistani woman hoists national flag at North Pole
Written by pub
Saturday, 21 April 2007

ISLAMABAD, Apr 21 (APP): Namira Salim, a Pakistani national, won
laurels for the nation when she hoisted Pakistani flag at the North
Pole on Saturday morning at 0530 hours (PST). As she also awaits her
space flight during the next couple of years, Namira Salim becomes the
first Pakistani to reach the top of the world, the Geographic North
Pole.

"It is great honor to represent my country as the first Pakistani
citizen at the Geographic North Pole during the "International Polar
Year' that marks the challenge of climate change our planet faces,"
Namira told APP by satellite phone.

"As I hoist the Pakistan flag at the pinnacle of our planet, I convey
a universal message of peace and to assert to the global community
that Pakistani nation is peace loving and tolerant nation," she added.

Based in Southern France, Namira has deep affiliation with innovative
art and multi-dimensional mixed media, some created around poetry she
writes and some are musical she incorporates into songs in her own
voice.

Her collectibles and decorative art objects also come along her to
support global causes.

Namira created a specialized line of musical art objects with built-in
messages in the voices of renowned altruists, first unveiled at the
United Nations in May 2002.

"As a humanitarian artist and a truly global citizen I have also come
to hoist a flag of universal peace at the Pole," she said, adding that
this peace flag bears the theme of her United Nations exhibition
'Peace-Making with Nation-Souls.'

She sees the war and conflict with pain and hopes that tolerance can
be inspired through the arts and understanding for the peace and
progress of the world.

"The North Pole bears an amazing resemblance to Pakistani's scenic
Northern Ares" said Namira, expressing her sentiments of joy and
happiness.

"As Pakistan's Honorary Ambassador of Tourism, I'd like to invite the
world to experience Pakistan's rich culture and to touch the world's
top most mountain peaks, like the K-2," she stated.

Namira also praised the 2004 Polar expedition of Anouskha Kachelo, a
Pakistan born UK citizen who is known to be the youngest woman to have
reached the North Pole.

"My Polar mission is that of a peace ambassador, while Anouska's
expedition was that of a true adventurer, which remains a source of
inspiration to this day," she said.

Namira Saleem had also made an attempt to hoist Pakistani flag at the
North Pole on April 14, but could not succeed due to bad weather.

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