Many Pakistanis seek new opportunities abroad.

As Pakistan reels from both the global financial crisis and the Taliban-led insurgency, many young Pakistanis are looking for a brighter future outside their home country.

Thousands of Pakistanis leave the country to seek work every year, with some 4 million workers currently living abroad.

Worldfocus contributing blogger Faisal Kapadia is a freelance writer living in Karachi, Pakistan, who blogs at “Deadpan Thoughts.”

A few days ago at the petrol station, I was talking to a friend as the attendant filled my car about my recent visit to China via cell when the attendant timidly approached me. I looked at him quizzically as I had already forked over the cash for the petrol, and shut my phone.

“Sahab [Friend], have you come from abroad?”

“Jee I do visit outside Pakistan on occasion.”

“Sahab bus kisi tarah ham ko bhi yahan se nikalo na?” ["Friend, we can get out of here the same way, no?"]

I looked at him in disbelief, and wondered how I had suddenly risen in status in his eyes. Just because I had access to foreign shores, he somehow thought of me as a would-be savior who would employ him immediately and send him to heaven via the next flight out of here.

Which leads me to think as to whether we are a “failed state” as the international press and [...] world leaders often describe us or a “failed generation”?

This mentality, I am afraid, is prevalent not only in our masses but in every class of this country where escape abroad seems to be the answer to all the problems faced here. True, life abroad does guarantee a far better economic and social reward for work — however, why do we not try to change our lot here rather than abroad is what baffles me about most people.

It seems every person of my age is afraid of asking questions. Self-censorship is the norm in Pakistan; whether we are forced to or not, we just don’t ask anymore — we prefer to run away or at most throw money at the problem till it goes away. If there is no electricity we whine about it on blogs and Twitter but we do not go to the nearby KESC [Karachi Electric Supply Company] center and question.

If the neighborhood is filled with sewage water we do not call up our locally elected representative and ask him why it has not been cleared. We prefer to remain in a vacuum of “not rocking the boat” so as to speak.

We do this at work at home and in life and then pretend to act as if the world and our country are against our existence. How many of us have gone up to the boss and asked why “Mr and Mrs” so and so got the increment and we did not? How many of us have actually tried to engage the political parties and leaders we keep insulting and ask them why so-and-so happened?

How many of us have tried asking for help in any form, a friendly analysis by someone you trust can also provide genuine insight into what a person might be doing wrong.

As for the gas station attendant, I duly explained to him how even if he manages to go to Dubai he will continue to pump gas for someone who might not even pay him every month, will keep his passport in his grasp blackmailing him at every opportunity and might even abuse him if he refuses with coercion ala local law. I suggested he try to educate himself in some way to raise his lot in life in his own country, rather than be a victim somewhere else. What I am trying to say is, for him education was the answer but there are answers for many of our problems also, the only way to get them is to ask questions about them.

To read more, see the original post.

The views expressed by contributing bloggers do not reflect the views of Worldfocus or its partners.

Listen to our online radio show on failed states.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user NB77 under a Creative Commons license.

For many, getting a travel visa is almost impossible.

For many travelers, obtaining a visa can be a frustrating experience marred by a variety of restrictions. A criminal record, even for minor crimes, can halt an application process. Countries like China and the United States ban H.I.V.-positive visitors.

Every year about 10,000 Pakistanis are granted student visas to Britain, while up to 20 times as many are rejected. Large scale rejections such as these are also due to fear of fraudulent applications by would-be illegal immigrants and terrorists.

Worldfocus contributing blogger Faisal Kapadia is a freelance writer living in Pakistan. He writes at “Deadpan Thoughts” about the difficulties faced by Pakistanis hoping to qualify for travel visas.

Summer has arrived in Pakistan, and with the advent of the hot blazing sunshine the exodus has begun. No, I do not mean people fleeing for good to azure shores or our politicians who seems to be able to invent any excuse to speak to the concierge at St Regis in D.C. — I mean us ordinary folks going on perhaps a hard-earned summer vacation, or the students who are applying for entry into foreign lands.

All of these poor sods have one thing in common; all of them require a “visa” to give them temporary status as a visitor in the foreign land of their choice. Sounds simple enough? Fill out a few forms attach a photo or two and send it of to the nearest embassy of your choice? Well, it is — for a citizen of any other country except for those with the dreaded green passport. Do not take this scribe’s word at face value; just look at the face of the immigration official when you hand him your passport on your next travel abroad.

The embassies we apply to must have a ball of a time devising the various hurdles that any visa application process for a Pakistani involves, as some of them require pictures with white backgrounds, some of the chin turned left, some without any form of covering or hijab, some with no beards and what not.

It’s come to a point where if you go to a photo center for getting your visa pics done, you find the oddest accessories suggested to “ensure” a smooth application. Most places have clip on ties and the photographer shouts things like “sit up” and to my amazement at the last visit a “do not smile.”

[...] Which brings me to the question, why do we subject ourselves to all this in the first place? Is it because there are no institutions of higher learning available in Pakistan for us to study in or that there is nowhere in Pakistan one can take a vacation to? Personally, I think it is time we showed our “allied” friends something resembling a cold shoulder if they continue to harass us in the myriad of ways described above.

To read more, see the original post.

The views expressed by contributing bloggers do not reflect the views of Worldfocus or its partners.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user photobunny under a Creative Commons license.

Pakistan suffers under constant threat of Taliban attacks.

On Tuesday, militants stormed the gates of the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar, Pakistan, where they detonated explosives that killed at least 11 people.

The attack took place following threats by the Taliban to avenge the recent army offensive against the insurgents. Peshawar has been the site of frequent Taliban incursions as it is the capital of the North-West Frontier Province.

Faisal Kapadia is a freelance writer who lives in Karachi. He contributes to several blogs, including Deadpan Thoughts, where he reacts to the recent attack.

Peshawar Attacked

Its been 4 hours since the attack and still the rescuers are hard at work, in the dark digging up and out anyone that they can still find in the hotel. [...]

The people of Pakistan are in shock — this is the third attack in so many weeks, each one brings more carnage and the realization that the war supposed to be fought far away in the mountains is now here in the streets of our cities.

Even now the police of our country are paralyzed having no forensics to trace our enemies and shoddy equipment. With a ratio of 1-500 plus civilians what security can they provide us?

Even now the politicians do their lip service promising “immediate investigations.” Funny, as we have still been unable to unmask the killer of our first PM or the last one. Investigations always continue…

Even now the analysis nation has switched on, Facebook statuses galore as people emote, what else can the poor sods do?

Even now despite all this the people of Pakistan have realized who the enemy is and with each attack we grow more united to stand together and take them on.

Even now we will go to work tomorrow and carry on as if nothing has happened, not because we are in denial only but because we are with repeated violence almost immune to any feeling towards it or the victims.

Even now with the utmost of loathing I have to realize there are people around me still who believe that the militants are right and it is us that is to blame for our sins.

They may maim us and kill us but they can never silence our voice.

To read more, see the original post.

The views expressed by contributing bloggers do not reflect the views of Worldfocus or its partners.