Asylum seekers: Expelled from Pakistan with no choice
Last time I interviewed a political figure, who also happens to be a religious leader, about why many Pakistanis are seeking asylum in foreign countries and what prompts them to resort to such desperate measures, I was told that most of them instigate violence themselves and ignite the fury of others so that they can seek political asylum in foreign countries. I was so intrigued by this statement that I decided to look for asylum seekers and delve into their lives. I wanted to meet the people who could either refute or second the aforementioned claim; however, the facts were quite contrary to what many Pakistanis think.
The first set of people I met was from a Shia family who migrated from Pakistan four years ago under dire circumstances.
“We started receiving threats at the end of 2007. First they were just random letters thrown inside the compound of our house. Most of them were abusive, some were derogatory towards our faith but all of them had the same message which stated that we leave this country or else be responsible for the consequences,” said she on condition of anonymity.
“In the beginning we all thought it was some sort of juvenile prank. Then we started receiving phone calls from unidentified numbers and that is when we realised that the threats were real,” she added.
The other part of her narrative was tragic and beyond anyone’s worst fear.
“I still remember that day with clarity. It was a Sunday and my brother had gone out to run some important errands. He always rode a motorbike but that day he decided to go walking. He was shot dead outside a shop not that far from where we lived. He was the youngest and most pampered child of the family and his untimely demise changed our lives forever. You always think that such misfortune always falls on other people and somehow you always stay away from such things until the violence strikes your home. None of us knew how to cope with the loss. We all kept wondering why they chose him and not us. He had his whole life in front of him because he was so young,” she added.
“When the shock abated, we realised that if we had to survive, we would have to leave this country as soon as possible otherwise we would all meet the same fate as him,” she added with tears glistening in her eyes.
Her narrative made me wonder, was Pakistan only made for a singular Muslim school of thought and more importantly, who has the right to ask Shias or Pakistanis of other faiths to leave their own country. Pakistan is just as much a home to Ahmadis, Shias and Christians as it is to Sunni Muslims and nobody has the right to expel anyone from their homeland. However, expulsion continues to take place on gun point and many a time over the lifeless bodies of loved ones.
Quite evidently, religious persecution is not the only reason which compels Pakistanis to seek asylum elsewhere. Many a time, Pakistanis are forced to flee from their homeland because of their political affiliations or lack of the same.
The second family I met had migrated to Canada several years ago for the same reason.
“I was an active member of a leading political student organisation in Karachi when I was studying at Ayesha Bawany Government College located at main Shahrah-e-Faisal. I was a young boy full of ambition and ideals. We would hear speeches from our seniors or political leaders that we followed and would get exceedingly roused. They showed us dreams of a better future and somehow every word that they said sounded close to the truth at the time. However, as I grew older I realised that this was not what I wanted for my life,” said Ghyas* who now owns a small convenience store in Ontario, Canada.
“I grew up without a father and was the only male child in a family of three sisters. One fine day I just decided to leave the organisation but my decision didn’t sit too well with my seniors. First they tried to coax me into reversing my decision and then they blatantly threatened me. I was attacked and almost beaten to death and that is when I knew that I had to leave Pakistan. I came to Canada as a refugee with my family and got the permanent resident status after struggling to prove that my life was in danger back home for almost 10 months,” he added.
Most of the asylum seekers who leave Pakistan in hopes of a better and safer future reach there destitute or have meager funds which only last for a very small period of time. Regardless of their qualifications, most of them have to accept odd jobs and work at less than minimum wage until their resident status is approved by the immigration authorities.
“We had the most prestigious degrees from the top notch educational institutes in Pakistan but when we landed in Canada we had to work at a greenhouse on cash because we did not have a Social Insurance Number. We were six people altogether which included my 16-year-old baby sister as well. We worked from 8 am until 5 pm at a greenhouse in Leamington where many more like us were also employed for the same jobs. Those were the most arduous years,” said another asylum seeker from Pakistan.
“Do not mistake my intentions. I am not trying to say that working at a greenhouse is wrong or demeaning. We all worked hard and anyone who works hard should be proud of it. I just call the early years hard and trying because we came to Canada without a dime and had to start from scratch. It took a lot of time for us to grasp the gravity of the situation. It was like being stuck in limbo. I had never felt so helpless before in life. Seeking asylum is not easy and people who say that people do it deliberately should go to the greenhouses where many asylum seekers from different countries work day in and day out to feed their families. Seeing their faces will make you understand that what they have chosen has been the lesser of two evils as a last resort,” said he with sadness gripping his eyes and voice.
I asked each one of them if they missed Pakistan or would ever like to return. Two said ‘maybe’ and one said ‘for what? To be squashed out like a bug again. No, never in this lifetime. We were never considered a part of Pakistan. We were always the pariahs’.
Their tragic past and overwhelming emotions made me want to console them for their loss but for the first time in my life I was left speechless as words are too dead to placate them. I wanted to tell them that the majority of Pakistanis are tolerant people but I had no evidence to substantiate my claim. I wanted to hold their hands and tell them that the situation will change but I had no incident to quote which could prove that the tides are changing. I wanted to apologise but no amount of apologies would ever bring back the brother of the woman I spoke to or the childhood of a 16-year-old girl who was exposed to such harsh realities of life at such a tender age.
I left their shops and homes with a very heavy heart, fervently praying that Pakistan would once again become a tolerant and progressive society where people can enjoy equal rights regardless of what paths they choose in life.
*Identity concealed due to security reasons
The writer is a Reporter at Dawn.com
For a long time I thought of such acts as aberrations but with a state that fails to protect its weak and minorities it breaks my heart that my Pakistan has clearly lost its way. Interestingly the only person with whom I can share Pakistani cricket triumphs and hockey defeats is an old school mate who just happens to be a Pakistani Christian. A pity that in his own country he would be treated as a second class citizen. My fellow Pakistani Muslims have long since turned their back on Pakistan and for the most part have no intentions of returning dead or alive to the country of their birth. Until the government of Pakistan takes the blasphemy law as it currently stands off the books and the security agencies (police, army or otherwise) to earn their salt by protecting the weak and minorities there seems to be no hope for a return to a more tolerant and dare I say a better Pakistan. We have become the pariahs of the world instead of becoming the beacon of light we had hoped to become a half century or so ago and more is the pity.
FYI: I am part of the spineless ‘silent’ majority a Sunni Muslim.
This is a bold article and I congratulate author and dawn publishing.i am shocked the type of cast ism exists in islamic culture .
I’m a professional working in the US currently. I came to this country on a student visa, and worked hard to graduate and find a nice job. As much as I love my dear country Pakistan, I am very GRATEFUL to my adopted homeland USA for giving me the opportunity to excel in life and earn a decent living, while proving me security and freedom of following my religion. As immigrants, we ALL should be thankful to our adopted country and never forget what all she has offered us. Long live Pakistan. Long live USA.
Well said.
Its a tragedy that pakistanis are leaving Pakistan, but yet one has to wonder how lucky rest of the world is that has had the good fortune of hosting Pakistanis who are among the most innovative,sincere and hardworking people in the world. Dr Abdus Salam and Dr AQ Khan are considered as 2 of the greatest scientists since Albert Einstein .
“Dr Abdus Salam and Dr AQ Khan are considered as 2 of the greatest scientists since Albert Einstein .” Dr Salam is; but that Dr AQ Khan is considered as one of the greatest CRIMINALS on earth alive today. Or have you been sleeping for the last 10 years. And Pakistan “rewarded” Dr Salam by DESECRATING HIS GRAVE!!!
Accurate article. My home was attacked in the middle of the night not for our faith (we are Sunni Muslims) but because we spoke Sindhi and lived in an Urdu-speaking area of Pakistan.. Latifabad, Hyderabad. My elderly father was beaten with an iron till blood flowed out of his head and stained his white hair red.
Dear Faiza,
You are to be praised as a human being, an angel with a mercy filled heart.
You are the flickering light of sanity in an insane, mad with hatred, self-loathing Pakistan which seems to have lost it’s soul.
In the land of the pure, 60 years back they expelled Hindus and Sikhs and then they followed it up by expelling Christians and next came Ahmadias, Shias and Pusthuns so the country can remain land of the pure. Former rulers like Kaki clad General Musharaf, Bhutto family are staying out but they can afford but it’s sad to read the plight of minorities in Pakistan. Hope this article opens the eyes of the general population. We cannot let this happen in Kashmir where pundits were driven out. Hope saner sense prevails among the general population of Pakistan and they see what’s right for thier country and stand up for it
I am Ahmedi and for your information no one is expelling Pushtuns from Pakistan but all i know that they expelled me along with my family from Charsadda along with 20 other families only because we were Ahmedis. So dont play the Victim card of Pushtoons who made our life miserable and they are responsible for as much extremism as anyone else. My relative in Swabi have been given warning that in coming months they should leave Pushtoon regions as they are Ahmedis otherwise they will be killed. So kindly stop this Misinformation for good if you dont know the ground realities.
Majority in India do not approve of that. We’ve sent the guilty to prison. We don’t ethnically cleanse a part of our society because their belief system is diff from ours. Conflicts happen,it’s not great but we the majority does not go around killing people of other faith. An MLA akbaruddin owaisi has the balls to say that he will wipe of hindus from India. I cannot imagine any hindu leader, if any, doing that in Pakistan and still be alive.
That, my friend, is the difference between the two countries. Blessed to be a non-muslim and a non-Pakistani.
Blessed to ba a Muslim and proud to be a US citizen. I agree with rest of the comment
Then go live in Pakistan if so blessed! Why did u go to the USA?
Process of purification never ends.
yeh and in ‘Mahan Bharat’ you burn them to make you land more ‘Mahan’: Gujrat and Punjab where muslims and sikhs were masacarred.
Majority in India do not approve of that. We’ve sent the guilty to prison. We don’t ethnically cleanse a part of our society because their belief system is diff from ours. Conflicts happen,it’s not great but we the majority does not go around killing people of other faith. An MLA akbaruddin owaisi has the balls to say that he will wipe of hindus from India. I cannot imagine any hindu leader, if any, doing that in Pakistan and still be alive.
That, my friend, is the difference between the two countries. Blessed to be a non-muslim and a non-Pakistani.
TFT there is a difference between communal riots and planned strategy to throw a community out, When Gujrat riots took place so did Godhra train incident. it was that moment which led people to do that and it has happened in all countries.There has not been a single case of violence on same Gujrat after that. No one has been stopped to follow their religion. We do not tell people that you are a less religion or sect or you are not at all the follower of a religion which you and forefathers has followed till date.
And still muslim population in India always go up, year after year.
Yes, keep singing that tune and watch your country turn into a graveyard. For once, just for once, can one of you respond, yes, this is the sad reality of our country?
Gujrat is not the only place where India’s 22 crore Muslims live….brother you are judging the whole India on the basis of Gujrat,…There are more muslims living in Kerala, UP, Hyderabad (deccan) than Gujrat, but you people still only have one incident to point towards to put your argument that India is not a secular country……We never had any incident in our so-called “Pseudo-secular INTOLERANT INDIA” where people have applied asylum in other countries, especially Muslims from India seeking asylum in Pakistan.”,,,,do you have any records of indians applying for asylum in Pak. if yes, then please specifiy
It is absolutely true that people from the minority groups in Pakistan face discrimination and hardships, which must stop and I in no way dispute the stories narrated here…. But I know for a fact that many Pakistanis make up concocted stories to take up asylum in western countries, which is also very unfortunate since they malign Pakistan for no reason except their own benefit.
” I wanted to tell them that the majority of Pakistanis are tolerant people.”…….Then, why the hell these majority of “tolerant Pakistanis” do not stand up when there are any threats or any violence carried out to the fellow citizens. Because of such a deafening pathetic silent response from the majority of the “so called tolerant Pakistanis,” the situation is such a grim in Pakistan….Dear author, you are absolutely wrong, the majority of the Pakistanis are intolerant. If they had been tolerant, the situation had been much different…..Mr. Jinnah would have made clear at the time of partition for which sect of Islam the Pakistan has been created, so that most of us would have said our decisions right there itself…..You are also partly responsible for our situation, Mr. Jinnah……
They do not stand up because they are busy in politics,an easy pass time.
The so called silent tolerant majority don’t stand up because they are selfish and coward.
You’ll notice in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands..their economies have improved tremendously ever since Pakistanis started migrating there from the 80s and 90s. Before that, most of the scandinavial economies were lagging at 3% in GDP. It is simple logic : Pakistanis are the most talented and innovative people in the world,and our strong belief in Islam ensures hardwork and sincerity that was missing in those countries.
People talking about welfare tends to forget that it is probably 0.00001% of Pakistanis who probably take welfare, the rest are net contributors to the host nations by a long margin.
“It is simple logic : Pakistanis are the most talented and innovative people” — then why pakistan is only growing in bad things … where ever they will go riots, sadness and destruction follows
Andhera kayam rahe
A very sad delusional opinion, with little reflection and lot of bombast due to an inflated ego. And no sense of appreciation for the cultures in those Scandinavian societies where diversity is tolerated.
I would like to know the crime rate of Pakistanis in those countries.
Md Imran,
can you send some of the migrant Pakistanis to come back to Pakistan from Norway ,Sweden,Netherlands to increase the GDP of Pakistan
Thank you Faiza. As always, you focus on the people who are marginalized and suffering in their beautiful homeland. Recently, I heard the same from Pakistan about asylum seekers and was shocked. No one wants to leave Pakistan if left alone peacefully. I personally know families with 4-5 small children whose sole bread winner was shot dead in broad daylight. There are good Pakistanis who help such families to seek asylum, pay their fares and there are good countries who accept them. May the Almighty reward such good people and such countries and guide Pakistan and those murderers who harass people to snatch their 3 marla homes. In the end, we all need only 2yards of land for permanent sleep.
Pakistanis have utterly failed the dream of the country’s founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Army and mullah is most guilty of this.
Peace will come to Pakistan ONLY when all the mullas are silenced or killed, and the self-serving Army is disbanded.
You need ten times longer age to see it.
As long as there is God, miracles will happen!
Unless our Army stops pampering the militants, inside and outside the country, such cases will keep emerging. Pak Army for God sake stop using secterian hatred as a tool to control politics.
Disband the army. They serve no purpose. They lost half the country 40 years ago. Since then, they have been poisoning the remainder.
Proudkafir,
The Army is also losing a battle with the Taliban,double disband !!!
I hope our country will be change soon!!!!
its not going to change its going to spread to other countries by the brave pak army… and spread misery and sadness everywhere … because i mind what u r doing not what i am
Billal,
We all hope your country will change soon and wish them the best. Start as an individual and show some empathy to a minority neighbor in Pakistan as a first step. Good luck
Just wondering for the people who do not have means to migrate, what happens to those poor folks, like those christian families who could barely get water to drink.
In case you have not been following the news, these poor people are killed or driven into the forests (where they die by stravation).
Forget the problems of such people lady.Their’s is a genuine case. Why don’t you go after those with political and government positions that hold a dual nationality?Ask them why they are doing so.As far as I know, they need a ton of money to get such citizenship, they not being subject to intimidation or threat of life in their country.This will be called true investigative journalism.
grt article, and yet again it points out the obvious
that only christian and to some extent non muslim give refuge to everyone including muslim
the muslim umma is huge and some states are very wealthy, but muslim still prefer non muslim countries it is a lesson for all muslim, religion is as good or as bad as u make it out to be
humanity is the greatist religion
muslim from burma were not allowed in bangladesh but they took refuge in india, the only problem in india is they have to fend for themself like everybody else, as india is a poor country
the irony of pakistn is during the creation of pakistn the christin supported pakistn, and voted for pakistn, and now they maybe regreting the day their forefathers put their lot in with jinnah and not nehru
Richie Rodrigues
You are absolutley correct!
Agreed
Hail the Maker!!!! As long as someone is fearing for the non-existent almighty, wild animals will make use of that fear. What a pity!!!!
First they make a country – chase out Hindus to occupy their properties – then fight amongst themselves and seek asylum abroad. Gr8
WHICH DENOTES WHAT A GREAT FAILURE THEY AND THEIR IDEOLOGY/RELIGION ARE!
how is the second largest religion in the world a failure ? What your comments denote as that you are a bigot and part of the problem.
Have you not read the article and the comments?
And it is the second largest religion because it was forced upon the conquered ppl. People have been FORCIBLY CONVERTED to Islam at the point of the sword and the gun.
MURDABAD, you forgot petrodollars ,besides the neo converts are from the prisons of Germany ,UK or USA or trapped immigrants in the GULF or maybe with low IQ
Kaafir, Wait……….,the will want to migrate to India sooner or latter
Your articles always deal with the minorities issues in Pakistan. You said most of Pakistanis are tolerant but they are the silent majority and their tolerance in these matters make hem equally responsible for all the hate crimes we see in Pakistan. I still appreciate and admire you for writing this sensitive issue of our society. Keep it up.
Raising your voice about any case of minority people is inviting death in Pakistan as is clear from the case of Salaman Taseer. It is easier to complain in writing like you and me but to come out on the street and support minority rights, I doubt if you will do that. Thankfully, I am outside current Pakistan but have seen better times there in the sixtees.
Faiza,
Aren’t there still Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan? Or are we living in a foreign land? Apathy from the fellow citizens is equally bad as the atrocities committed.
“Pakistan is just as much a home to Ahmadis, Shias and Christians as it is to Sunni Muslims and nobody has the right to expel anyone from their homeland.”
I am sure you did not mean it but there is lies the problem. Think about it.
Time for Hindus and Sikhs to get out of here. This is no country for others.
Faiza I am not sure if are talking about Pakistan or some non Muslim country. Your views are very nice and patriotic but the ground conditions are contrary to your views. Our blasphemy laws, lawlessness, religious intolerance, sectarianism and illiteracy have taken a toll on our country already. Non Muslims living in our country are not protected. They want to get out of there if given opportunity. I happened to meet a few non Muslims migrated from Pakistan hate Pakistan openly they don’t even want to be associated with Pakistan I was not shocked to know this since our country’s security condition is very bad let alone non Muslim we have never protected Ahmadi Muslims laws are there force them not to call themselves Muslims. No wonder no foreigners want to visit there any more. We need to change our behaviour as nation.
Pakistan was founded to be as secular by Jinnah sahab but over the year with the help of dictators like Zia ul Haq, his crony Mullas, like minded journalists and historians created this confusion that Pakistan was not supposed to be secular. There is nothing wrong being secular and have all kinds of religious freedoms with the protection of the law of the land.
time for HINDUS and SIKHS to get out of here !!!!! …. did i hear you correctly … is that ur opinion?? if yea than dude i seriously dont agree with your point of views … who says than you have the right to be there in county???? All the reasons you have to be there is the same for all others … keep in mind please.
@Does it matter – It does matter. Why should Hindus, Sikhs or anyone else leave their own country? Everyone is struggling there. Shahzeb Khan, Malal Yusuzfzai and Salman Taseer were all attacked by fellow Muslims.
It’s tragic, we should keep our frinds together and help in them in such miserable times.
Pakistan is in the transition state. hopefully things will get better.
And this is SaLAMATI defined. But this is generally speaking attitude/mind set of all Pakistanis unfortunately
Why they dont move to any other part of the country? Why such kind of people always apply for asylum in Canada, UK, USA etc.
because almost every part of the country is in the same state. Why live in fear constantly when you have other opportunities available elsewhere.
because asylum means to leave a place where you are not comfortable security wise, life risk wise, basic rights wise and move to place where social infrastructure and law can protect you and your rights … thats why they choose these places plus they offer it for Human based rights … Think about the reason in the country and us so called nation making choices to have the situation across
… Lets not be critic about this but try to understand the issue and solve it .. and not ALWAYSS judge people on our individual measuring principal metres (sorry to say which actually does not stand true in life) but trust them that they had issue in life and we need to take it away …. getting harsh and pointing is a baseless act of us as nation ..
You depict the problem mindset by that comment and you are possibly the “majority of Pakistanis” who are tolerant…!!?? This is exactly what our administration is doing; they side with the mob, rather than the right and that is what you are saying also. Why should a Pakistani have to move from one part of the country to another? And, if it really comes to that, what part of the country would you suggest? In fact, that is what most people did until there was no safe place to move to.
Because they are largely economic migrants and use faith and political persecution as a reason to enable asylum status. Economic reasons are not acceptable for asylum seekers. A bit daft if you ask me.
Have you nnot read history? It was the Arab invaders who came as economic migrants, killed and forcibly converted the local people. Their descendants should finally realize what was done!
All their stories are fabricated, no one expelled them, they chose to leave pakistan to take benefit of welfare system of western states.
so you think incidents like this don’t happen all the time in Pakistan?
Isn’t it true that terrorists stop buses on road to Gilgit Baltistan, ask the passengers to line up, identify shias and shoot them at point blank….We saw these stories reported so many time in Dawn.
I hope you were being sarcastic. If not, pls explain why a an engineer or a doctor would prefer to drive taxis in the cities of North America, than make a decent living back home.
Burying head in the sand does not make the reality go away. It waits for you to lift your head and recognise it..
Very simple: those engineers and doctors eventually take their respective exams and find gainful employment, not to mention ensuring great future for their next generations, it takes time, but they are willing to work hard and start from scratch. Much better than living under constant fear of a sword hanging over you, you go out of your house in the morning and there is no guarantee that you will be back safely in the evening in Pakistan. Not to mention the subhuman lives of non Muslims.
“Much better than living under constant fear of a sword hanging over you.”
Yes the sword of Islam, by which it has been forcibly spread the last 1400 years.
so why don’t you try it too.
MR. Rabbi,
In which make believe world, you are living my friend?.
Grow up and try to understand what is going on with all the minorities in Pakistan and if possible dear, try to make a change.
Your wishes are hidden in your comments. Please apply for an asylum for yourself by inflicting some wounds on your body. See how easy it is to impress the kind staff of western embassies. Do report on your efforts if and when you get lucky in a blog for others to benefit from. OR establish welfare system in Pakistan. Unless you can show that asylum is so easily granted from your personal experience, please keep your eyes open and respect those who had to leave due to persecution. Thank you.