As cricket is set return to Pakistan, South African cricketer and a member of ICC World XI tweeted something that definitely hurt the passionate Pakistani fans.
Imran Tahir accused the Pakistani consulate in Birmingham of humiliating him and his family when they visited the place to get their visas.
He claims that the Pakistani consulate kept him waiting for five hours after which he was was “expelled by the staff explaining that the office hours are over and they are closing the consulate.”
Me with my family were humiliated & expelled from Pak High Commission earlier today when I went to get visa to play for WorldXI in Pakistan pic.twitter.com/VByiqV4oFh
— Imran Tahir (@ImranTahirSA) September 4, 2017
According to the Pakistan High Commission in London, “additional processes” were required since the cricketer and his family members held South African passports.
The high commission also added that “the time taken in issuing visas was due to non-filling out of four applications, non-availability of supporting documents and additional processing required in respect of visas for holders of a third country.”
Although the consulate staff had reasons for the delay, this incident will definitely hurt the reputation of the country.
Following Imran’s tweet, Federal Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, responded by saying that the matter will be investigated.
Imran sorry to read your post. We will have this investigated and action will be taken against those responsible.
— Ahsan Iqbal (@betterpakistan) September 5, 2017
This incident has hurt the emotions of millions of Pakistani fans back home, what happened to Tahir shouldn’t happen to anyone else and for this strict action should be taken against the staff if there was indeed a mistake on their part.
Go Nawaz go and never return
chay hain ap.
Because your action speaks!
This is not for the first time our consulate came up with such disgusting attitude. They often deal with every foreigner like this … That ultimately results in lesser tourism brought to us from other countries.
PTCL ne jaise apne 1218 improve ke hai waise he consulate ke logon ko be tameez sikhao kaise baat karte hai customer se.
Was Imran Tahir wanted some sort of special treatment like the consulate staff filing visa application on his family’s behalf and also providing support documents?? BTW he seems more like a terrorist than a sportsman.
I wonder how senseless people have become. WTF u said “he seems like a terrorist”?? how on earth anybody can tell by seeing a pic that someone is terrorist or not??
If you want to point out his beard then u must be biased rather brain washed. Look into urself
I stand firm on my words.
Upon reading your statement you seem like a person who ll go to a shopping mall and murder hundreds of people.
Now the above statement of mine seems utterly illogical and makes me look stupid right? Ah no, you wont get it. Keep ‘standing firm on your words’.
Very shameful attitude of Pakistani consulate if this news is correct. Either Imran Tahir contact with higher authorities or higher authorities should take notice of this news. We are Pakistanis and we never humiliate others. We share love not hatred.
Welcome to dreamland. Just visit the Pakistani Consulate in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. They are even worse. I personally waited for hours and hours in Pakistani High Commission in Kuala Lumpur to the point that I slept and then woke up and then slept again and then woke up again. Luckily I got the job done
Its common practice in the consulates and embassies mainly because people with connection end up working in diplomatic missions who have no training whatsoever. High Commissioner came to rescue him because he was a high profile cricketer (read internet savvy) and knew how to bend things in his favour which he did. Ironically things improved only after his tweet.
This is not first of its kind issue while treating Pakistanis in their own consulate in any country. Every staff member of all consulate offices must be trained well before one assumes the office. They should consider following points
1. Behave humanly
2. Proper Guidance in relevant problem
3. Stop clerical mindset and bossy behavior
He got attention because he is someone. common man has no hope in this corrupt democratic system