Injustice towards Pakistanis
Government needs to help these stranded citizens in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Does our government have no faith in itself to provide citizens with jobs that it sent hundreds of recent graduates to a foreign country so that a foreign government could provide for them?
In the latest news report about injustice towards Pakistanis, the Bahrain Army held captive and tortured hundreds of Pakistani men for 19 months before deporting them to Pakistan. The men were recent university graduates and were granted visas for Bahrain by the Pakistani government, with assurance that they would be able to secure jobs in the Bahrain Army. Instead, the men were subjected to cruel treatment, such as being denied food and toilet access for five days.
It is frightening that it is so easy for governments and armies to treat fellow humans in such an inhumane manner. We also ponder why these skilful men were promised jobs — and essentially, a more secure future — but instead, were welcomed only to be mistreated. A similar scenario played out in Saudi Arabia last month, where 700 Pakistanis — who are still stranded in the Kingdom — were abandoned after having their passports confiscated, rendering them unable to work. Visas for these men were issued under fraudulent conditions by private companies, whereas, in this latest incident, the visas were issued by the Pakistani government. The Bahrain Army should be held responsible for subjecting the young men to torture but the Pakistani government must also be questioned about sending its citizens into such abusive conditions.
Does our government have no faith in itself to provide citizens with jobs that it sent hundreds of recent graduates to a foreign country so that a foreign government could provide for them? The enthusiasm of seeing Pakistan’s youth become successful academically is missing from our government, which in turn will demotivate younger generations of students in terms of future career prospects. The government needs to help these stranded citizens in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. A crackdown on agencies granting illegal visas and making false promises should also be in order, along with a review of the government’s own actions that allowed the injustice in Bahrain to take place.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2013.
It is frightening that it is so easy for governments and armies to treat fellow humans in such an inhumane manner. We also ponder why these skilful men were promised jobs — and essentially, a more secure future — but instead, were welcomed only to be mistreated. A similar scenario played out in Saudi Arabia last month, where 700 Pakistanis — who are still stranded in the Kingdom — were abandoned after having their passports confiscated, rendering them unable to work. Visas for these men were issued under fraudulent conditions by private companies, whereas, in this latest incident, the visas were issued by the Pakistani government. The Bahrain Army should be held responsible for subjecting the young men to torture but the Pakistani government must also be questioned about sending its citizens into such abusive conditions.
Does our government have no faith in itself to provide citizens with jobs that it sent hundreds of recent graduates to a foreign country so that a foreign government could provide for them? The enthusiasm of seeing Pakistan’s youth become successful academically is missing from our government, which in turn will demotivate younger generations of students in terms of future career prospects. The government needs to help these stranded citizens in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. A crackdown on agencies granting illegal visas and making false promises should also be in order, along with a review of the government’s own actions that allowed the injustice in Bahrain to take place.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2013.