DUBAI: I recently travelled from Islamabad to Dubai, on an Airblue flight. While collecting my boarding pass, I was asked to pay Rs1,000 in tax. When I asked what this was for, I was told that this was “airport tax” and was being charged from all passengers since January 2013. There was a banner that said “Infrastructure development charges for $10 and “Security charges for $6 per passenger”.
Prior to entering the airport I had spent the last of my Pakistani currency on my cab ride so I didn’t have any rupees on me to pay for these taxes. I told the airline official that they should have informed passengers beforehand so that they would carry enough Pakistani currency on them (especially since foreign currencies were not being accepted).
The reply was: “Madam, since your ticket was issued on Dec 24, 2012 that’s why you have to pay now, otherwise we are informing all passengers through an SMS.”
I didn’t argue much at all and decided that I had no choice but to change the 10 dollar bill that I keep in my wallet. This note has sentimental value because it was given to me by my father, before he died eight years ago, and I keep it all the time with me. I went to the money exchange and the man told me that I could get only Rs850 for it. I asked him why that amount given that the exchange rate was at least Rs95 to a dollar.
And this man said that this was because I have a “chota” note! I argued with him that denomination didn’t matter and that the exchange rate was fixed whether you changed one dollar or a hundred, but to no avail.
These two experiences, basically, were a clear indication that in Pakistan, officials — both in the government as well as the public sector — like to fleece ordinary Pakistanis.
Also, I might add that for the payment of “infrastructure development charges” and “security charges” that I made to the airline, I was given no receipt.
Sadia Sikander Awan
Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2013.
