Al Ain: Pakistanis expatriates on Tuesday expressed concern over repeated terrorist attacks, electricity outage and growing criminal activities which have prompted many of them to postpone their annual summer vacation in their hometowns.
The recent terrorist attacks on Karachi airport has reportedly increased the sense of insecurity among overseas Pakistanis who accuse their government of failure in controlling the law and order situation in the country.
The recent surge in violence and excessive electricity load-shedding across Pakistan worries expats living in the UAE. Scores of people have died in recent terrorist attacks, and growing kidnappings and mugging incidents have been adding to the stress of non-resident Pakistanis.
“I have cancelled my family’s annual holidays in Pakistan,” said Mohammad Ali, a Dubai resident. Ali said he had heated arguments with his wife and kids on the issue as they were waiting for the summer vacations. “The situation is very bad and people have been feeling insecure about travelling to Pakistan,” he said.
Ali said three or four of his friends experienced being robbed in front of banks back home. Robbers also snatched the cars of two of them, he said. The government, he said, should devote its attention to the law and order situation by making it its top priority. He said he could not understand why the government was not doing so.
Abdul Muzzil, a Pakistani businessman in Al Ain, said he had cancelled his holiday plan in Pakistan this year. “I don’t want to put my family in harm’s way,” he said, commenting on the law and order situation as people are being kidnapped by terrorists and criminals for ransom.
He said all politicians are engaged in a power tussle and just issue statements condemning the situation instead of doing something concrete to improve security. He said religious fanaticism and violence have been playing havoc in the country. Shortage of electricity and repeated load-shedding is another problem.
Dr Talat Mahmoud, a Pakistani community leader in Abu Dhabi, said repeated terror attacks have become routine for people living there. The situation, however, is not as bad in some cities and people are going to those places to spend their holidays. Many non-resident Pakistanis from Karachi and other disturbed cities, he said, have no other option since their families and relatives live there.
Security, he said, is a vital issue and a major source of concern for all Pakistanis, especially those living abroad. Dr Mahmoud, however, criticised security officials for the lack of professionalism that allow terrorists to move freely in the country and play havoc with people’s lives and property.
“It is a serious issue that has put the national stability and survival at stake, but it is still not being addressed properly,” he added.
Sardar Javed Yaqoob, a political adviser to the Prime Minister of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, said people are not safe in Pakistan and yet some people have planned holidays in Pakistan.
The recent attack on Karachi airport has shocked Pakistanis and they are feeling insecure. The shortage of electricity is another dimension. “People are suffering from a range of problems and the government has completely failed in finding a swift and appropriate solution to these problems,” he added.
Criticising Islamabad’s attempt to negotiate with terrorists, Yaqoob said the government should not have wasted its time on such a futile exercise. “I was saying earlier that terrorists were gaining time to reorganise and the recent attacks have proved me right,” he said.
Zahoor Ahmad, an Al Ain resident, has stopped watching Pakistani television channels that air disturbing news every now and then. “It seems the whole country is on fire and the government has failed to stop it,” she said. “My family is worried and has postponed the annual holidays in Pakistan,” he said.
He said terrorists should be dealt with an iron hand and the officials of law enforcement agencies should be punished for their inability in bring them to book. “What is the point on spending huge amounts of money on maintaining these agencies if they cannot come up to the expectations of the nation in the hour of need?” he said.
