My beloved husband belongs to Bangladesh. But strangely whenever I call him Bangladeshi he always corrected me....no...not Bangladeshi....I am East Pakistani.He migrated to Pakistan without his parents when he was only 7 yeas old. He told me that the people in Bangladesh was so mad on the people who wished to go back to Pakistan that they brutally killed them.
So his parents tackle the situation in a way that they sent every child one by one to Pakistan to their relatives here and at the end the both my MotherinLaw and Fatherinlaw came to Pakistan
Its a long story that how my beloved husband had survived in such small age without his parents for almost 5 years. While his relatives were not very helpful or friendly with him.
hmmmm.....that's why he is a good cook....lol...
Few days ago I had to renew my passport for my visit abroad and this was the first time I was changing my status from single to married.
We have everything computerized now. Which somehow complicated few things and parallel way simplified too. Every thing went smooth until the last stage when I had a little chit chat with the Manager of NADRA and he asked me about my husband, sitting besides me though.
I told the manager about US...and then he asked....
Is your husband Bangladeshi????
I said...hmmm..no...he is East Pakistani.
the rude manager said......same thing.
And you told me that you get birth in Pakistan, Karachi? Yeah ?
I said...yes.
He said...ok bring me evidence.
I said.....what evidence.....baah?
Manager.....anything...which confirms that you belong to Pakistan since birth. Your birth certificate or your B form or your father's CNIC card.
I...as I did had those papers...readily presented him.
He smiled....and pass my form.
And then when we were about to leave his room...he said..sorry...we are not making passports of Bangladeshi here anymore.
He smiled.....but I couldn't smiled back.
I looked at my beloved husband's face....it was pale.
I felt pity....
Bangladeshi or East Pakistani ....when they were forced to leave their country...how come we expect them to bring some evidence that they belong to Pakistan?
When we has allowed them to enter into Pakistan then why not we are accepting them???
Why not we are giving them our identity...nationality....rights???
If this is the criteria than we all are still INDIAN....cause we migrated from India.
I am so so unhappy since then.....
To Bangladesh:
To lost East Pakistan....hmmm....
If our choices don’t matter then what matters! If Sheikh Mujib and Mulana Bhshani(marching bare footed) were first Pakistanis by choice and then Bangladeshi by choice, why not somebody born in Bangladesh can become Pakistani by choice?
ReplyDeleteI really liked the term “I AM EAST PAKISTANI”
Sabeeqa Sahib and Dar Sahib....
ReplyDeleteSo honoured to hae your comments.
Thank you so much for giving me your time.
Regards.
Nice and important post....it atleast shows "why" East Pakistan gave birth to Bangladesh?
ReplyDeleteIt also says more about how immigration policy in Pakistan works and what is the status of Pakistani women? When a Pakistani woman marries a "foreign man: a person who doesn't have a Pakistani nationality" leads to ugliness of law, rules and regulations. Men marrying Pakistani women are not naturalized - and there is a long paper work required. I hope at least on this - we have just equitable system - same for men and women with foreign nationalities.
Moreover, it seems that your husband is technically a Pakistani as he chose to stay in West Pakistan -- hence what is the problem with authorities??