Monday 7 December 2015

I don’t really understand what the climate change debate is all about. I thought, let me speak to a friend who does and explain it to me simply. There is a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which 194 countries have signed. Pakistan is one of them. There have been several summits where scientists and politicians have come together and discussed what climate change is about, what is causing it (human activities) and what countries can do to mitigate it. The UNFCCC was opened for signature at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and came into force in 1994.
After several years of negotiations it was decided that a treaty would be signed in Copenhagen in 2009; however that did not happen and the world gave itself a new deadline (2015) to come up with some kind of a consensus on what they would agree on to make the world safer by curbing green house emissions (which causes global warming). There had been no consensus in Copenhagen, but what everyone did agree on was that the world will not exceed an increase of 2 degrees Celsius in temperature (since the industrial revolution occurred). The world has already warmed around 1 degree so clearly the clock is ticking as scientists say that if we exceed the 2 degrees limit, we are headed towards “catastrophe”.
Climate change is today a reality; as Arnold Schwarzenegar recently put it, “it is NOT science fiction”. The tricky part is to agree on how to reduce temperature globally. The deadline to reach a consensus has now arrived and this year in November in Paris 2015 all the worlds’ leaders will meet to come up with a legally binding treaty to limit global warming. In recent years, the world has seen population exponentially increase, witnessed massive natural disasters, and at the same time added massive industrial and agricultural pollutants into our atmosphere. Extreme weather events such as violent storms, flooding, droughts and wildfires have all happened with only 1 degree of temperature increase; imagine what would happen at 2 degrees!
What will be the world’s commitments in Paris? And what will be Pakistan’s commitments? Thus far India has already stated it will not accept any cap on coal use. China has accepted coal caps. We will only find out about Pakistan’s commitments in August/September, a few months before the scheduled November Paris meeting.
Some basics about what contributes to the increase in global temperatures which in turn starts the cycle of death on Earth.

There are 4/5 ‘tipping points’ events, which scientists warn that if they occur on a large scale, their damage will be irreversible:
1) Methane emissions from Antarctica melting
2) Greenland ice sheet melting to disappearance levels
3) The gulf stream affected by warming (this keeps UK, Europe temperature moderate)
4) Amazon Forest dying out
5) Disruption to the Indian and west African monsoon
6) Loss of Perma Frost: in Siberia & Tundra (north Canada) a layer of ice that keeps the methane in the soil frozen.

When the Artic ice melts methane gas is emitted, methane is a green house gas, which also contributes to global warming along with carbon dioxide emissions. Ice deflects heat, but when the ice caps melt and expose the darker sea below, the warming is absorbed by the oceans, which then results in even more warming and ice melting.

What contributes to temperature rising

1. All industrialization activity results in some form of greenhouse gas emissions, which have led to an increase in temperatures as the emissions are trapped by the atmosphere and heat up the planet. Coal power plants particularly are the most polluting, cement factories are another and car emissions also add to polluting emissions.
2. Deforestation also contributes towards green house gas emissions; trees are ‘carbon sinks’ they store carbon dioxide and when you cut trees down and burn or process the wood, green house gas emissions increase in our atmosphere.
3. Agricultural process also contributes, to a lesser extent, towards global warming. Livestock and rice paddies produce methane gas.

What is Pakistan doing to reduce global warming and the resultant negative impact on our population and quality of life? We will shortly know when the Government of Pakistan releases their list of commitments for the Paris meeting in November. One hopes that the Government of Pakistan has adequate expertise on this critical matter.

A list of countries, which contribute towards global warming:

See more: These are the worst offending countries when it comes to carbon emissions

Monday 27 July 2015

Judicial Commissions Findings do not imply that the 2013 Elections were 'Fair'

http://pakteahouse.net/2015/07/23/nilofers-corner-judicial-commissions-findings-do-not-imply-that-2013-elections-were-fair/

mran Khan accused the electoral managers of ‘rigging’ the election of 2013. It has been over two years since these accusations were made; a protest that lasted 4 months and nearly brought the sitting Government to a standstill resulted in little change, attention or review of Pakistan’s electoral system. Many who support PTI have also observed Imran Khan’s statements claiming irrefutable proof of pre-mediated irregularities & fixing that have been shared with the appropriate authorities. Where is all that evidence?
PTI supporters have also seen a campaign of maligning individuals, institutions and processes that raised many questions about the fairness of office bearers and neutrality of institutions overseeing electoral management processes without any results. Many of what Imran Khan claimed to be ‘facts’ have come into question now and some proven to be inaccurate where both he and his party officials have had to recant and apologize. All of this is on the record and better people have discussed and analyzed these details in much more sophisticated minutia.
My disappointment in Imran Khan aside, what the Judicial Commission’s report, yet to be formally released, states seems to be there was no systematic rigging by the care taker government in favour of the current majority party in power, this also problematic. I cannot pass judgement on evidence provided at the JC since I was not privy to the sessions but I was an active participant of elections 2013. What worries me and observing social media’s reactions and other discussion group forums worries me tremendously. Too many are using this Judgement to continue the current ‘do nothing policy’ on electoral reforms.
Pakistan is a very fragile democracy. The election commission is undermined by political interference, its office bearers do not have the capacity to ensure systems to oversee independent monitoring officers during any elections; the equipment to ensure human error is unavailable and excuses after excuses are made to avoid biometrics for elections. The use of government employees beholden to caretaker officials who in turn are appointment by electoral candidates cannot possibly be the appropriate system for a free fair electoral system. There is no trust in our institutions and institutional managers and hence some kind of trustworthy systems needs to be put in place. Cary on business as usual only serves those who benefit from the current dysfunctional system.
Analysts and political opponents now on the war path against the foolishness of many of Imran Khan’s Statements whether on the TTP or Taliban Office or 35 punctures, will focus on these,& use his lack of growing credibility as the basis to undermine the very very important matter of electoral reform. Credit has to be given to Imran Khan, he is the only political leader and party that persistently highlighted the need for a better electoral system in Pakistan.

Imran biggest challenge is himself.

Imran khan critics need to remember before they begin their gloat fest Yes Imran has many flaws. But bringing up fundamental flaw in our democratic process is certainly not one of them. He may not have proven his case in the court of law or in the judicial commission but to suggest that our elections were ‘ok’ and ‘lets move on’ is just as criminal and intellectually dishonest.

Chitral Floods Shows how ill prepared we are for Disasters

http://pakteahouse.net/2015/07/24/nilofers-corner-chitral-floods-show-how-ill-prepared-we-are-for-disasters/

Once again the rainy season is upon us & once again government of Pakistan is not prepared. No one ever is. It happens every year, disasters of various magnitudes happen, people get hurt, displaced and even lose their lives but no is ever prepared. Not since 2005, 2010 government does not consider disaster management an important enough ‘activity’. Yes we do have a federal national disaster management authority and provincial disaster management authorities and as I recall UNDP has spent several packets multiple times in training district level disaster management ‘authorities’ as well.
It is not as if we haven’t had practice of disasters across the country of the natural kind the man made variety and everything in between; but for some unexplainable reason government of Pakistan ALWAYS requires the army to step in for relief activities, donors to provide some sort of early recovery and civil society to chip in for relief through rehabilitation. No investment in mitigation or preparedness. None. Life is cheap.
Lets look at Chitral from what little I understand Bridges at Osiak, Kosht, Shogore have been washed away; in Upper Chitral, in the Kalash valleys and Garam Chashma valley have been totally cut off with the main roads washed away. The Drinking water supply to Chitral town has been disrupted. The Electricity on the main systems has been totally disrupted. Flood waters are flowing through central Boomboret; hundreds of irrigation channel heads have been destroyed which has resulted in thousands of people will have to work for days to restore them through self help. Where is government in all this? When it comes to obstruction, NOC, documentation etc. government is all over us. But when it comes to basic civic management their raison d’etre they are unprepared. Chitral is a mountainous area with weak road communication systems, these are permanent features and administration should be prepared for disaster management responses.
A bloated bureaucracy unable and incompetent to manage basic disaster management is an under statement. Preparing for such reoccurring known vulnerabilities is a rational policy decision. Why isn’t it done? The responsibility is with our elected members. They have not allocated sufficient ‘hardware or software’ towards disaster risk reduction at district and tehsil levels. The bureaucrats aren’t prepared enough with funds, equipment, manpower or systems.
Looking at the donor investments in DRM one would imagine Pakistani bureaucrats and systems should be adequately prepared, but they are not. Why is that the case? This is something monitoring and evaluation experts and oversight agencies should explore further.
When & if Local government becomes fully functional, empowered and trained will they be better prepared? One hope so. Will the members of parliament and the bureaucracies prioritize mitigation measures and adequately prepare for the annual disasters so that people do not suffer? I wonder if the candidates for the various local government elections have disaster management as a campaign issue? Perhaps constituents should ask them about their plans for disaster management for their neighborhood.
The cycle will continue unless citizens do not pressurize their elected members to invest adequately. The media also needs to raise the matter to demand what has GOP done since 2005 to better manage our annual natural disasters?

Monday 20 July 2015

Eid Notes

Relief & Embarrassment. Looking at the Ruet e Hilal Committee
ramble on their television press conference, 10 minutes later announcing the ‘sighting’ of the moon and ‘formally’ declare Pakistan ‘can’ celebrate Eid 30 days of fasting later. Even the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia the bastion of all things awful considers it appropriate to rely on science to determine when the lunar calendar begins/wanes. There is no rational explanation why the politicians in the land of the pure consider it important to maintain this ‘committee’ of NONSENSE.

Chaand raat with friends reminds one of all the wonderful and warmth of Pakistan. There is no description that appropriately captures the feeling of the collective joy and reflection of a shared month of many emotions, from the jokes of those who didn’t fast to the nostalgia of those whose meditative state comes to an end. The rituals of churis/bangles, mehndi and gluttonous culinary delights cements what really is important and worthy of our cultural memories. I wish we had more of this. Its wonderful to see so many laugh, happy, joyous, optimistic and celebrating.

You blink and from looking forward to Eidi to making sure your Eidi envelopes are enough for all your nieces and nephews, how time flies. There is nothing more beautiful than the sight of your children in Eid clothes shy coy and with a mischievous smile looking forward to their Eidi. If they are anything like us, the competition of who gets the most Eidi from the most unexpected ‘uncle and aunty’ probably still thrives.

I am grateful we are safe and together as a family and a nation. Time to get back to work and wake up from the month’ slumber.

Eid ul Fitr is as close to the feeling I had at Christmas growing up. It is joyous and the sense of family, community and inclusiveness is palatable. I love it and I am grateful this year Pakistan had a peaceful and joyful one.

Eid Mubarak.

Violence

http://pakteahouse.net/2015/07/21/nilofers-corner-violence/

I hate violence. Lord since when have I started using language and tone which is violent to describe my aversion to violence? Something has happened in the past 10 years, to me, in Pakistan. There has been too much violence. This is from someone who is blessed and safe. And yet the environment of uncertainty constant violence physical and cultural is everywhere. Conversations justify violence. Actions ignore violence our conscience have become numb. Is this a self-preservation mode we have turned on? I don’t know is this an excuse to justify the growth and apathy by so many of the violence all around us?

So easily television anchors demand scream and write ‘hang this one kill this one eliminate that one’. Killing comes so easily. Where did the value of life disappear? Does any faith if that is the currency of value these days, not value life? Reality check. No one actually reads or is knowledge literate. Having so many souls in each family probably numbs one and valuing each and every precious soul becomes a challenge. Perhaps the justification of so many collateral fatalities.

Violence doesn’t only come physically here. ‘she is not like that’ what does that mean? ‘But you know they don’t believe in….’ I hate…’ where is all this going? Violence. Justified.

This isn’t the Pakistan I remember. Truly. Yes I don’t remember as a child what Zia ul Haq was doing to women, politicians, laws and culture.

My Pakistan was swimming in Islamabad club with friends after school. I didn’t know the answer of whether I was a Sunni or a Shia when asked by my Islamiat teacher. We walked or cycled to friend’s homes without a care in the world. There were no guards in any homes. MY only fear was please please I hope my sleepover friends haven’t chosen a horror movie. Hate them!

Atticus Fitich

http://pakteahouse.net/2015/07/21/nilofers-corner-atticus-fitch/

To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee without a doubt is a book that moved me along with millions across the globe and remains more than a book, the book was an experience, which had tremendous influence on how I looked at people, class, culture & history. Deeply moving. No matter how often I re read it, or watch Gregory Peck’s movie or see an adaptation Play it brings me to tears. Many books have, such as many other novels, Gorky Park (Martin Cruz Smith), Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy)

, War & Peace (Leo Tolstoy), A Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez), Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez), 1984, (George Orwell), Lord of the Flies (William Golding) & I would include A Suitable Boy (Vickram Seth) to this list, these were more than just books, the stories & characters reached out and pulled me into their world, their mind, heart, pain and joy their experiences were real because they understood. Together we stood.

The recent controversial release of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman is a travesty. Why? Because this book was a draft of the classic to Kill a Mocking Bird and should have remained as such. Harper Lee now over 90 years old probably is in no position (even if she wanted to) to challenge this violation. How many authors would like their drafts of their final published work to be shared with world? Furthermore having created characters, which have resonated across the world to flagrantly undermine that for what? Publicity? Money? Certainly not benefiting the author Lee, in her twilight years did she deserve this? Does she have any control over what her publishers and managers are doing to her legacy? Has anyone investigated who is benefiting from this stunt?

As far as I am concerned Harper Lee wanted Atticus Fitch to be as he is in To Kill a Mockingbird, if she wanted us to see him in any other light she would have published her draft –but she didn’t for whatever reason & that is how it should have remained. Literally.

Sunday 19 July 2015

Which School Should my Child go to?

http://pakteahouse.net/2015/07/16/which-school-should-my-child-go-to/

Which Should My Child Go to School?

July 16th, 2015 | Add a Comment

By Nilofer Qazi

Met a friend the other day, while Discussing how to choose a play school for one's 2 year old, the conversation turned out to be quite existential in nature.

Which school should put one of those little ones is a very big deal; All parents will tell you this. What are some of the issues he considers to? The quality of the teachers is definitely a consideration, given that most teachers here are not professionally trained, meaning are not education degree professionals, that are primarily 'experienced' in managing children having Gained them are working knowledge over time 'on the job (s) '. Yes this is scary when one thinks about it, leaving it most precious, with untrained people who will shape the ideas and develop them to the foundations of their interests ... for life. Another consideration is the proximity to the more mundane no doubt that one's work is home for pick and drop of your child.

What I never imagined my friend but what I did was to admit feeling little one in Al Huda. Yes Farhat Hashmi's Al Hud. Can this be an Appropriate place for any child? Should not our children be taught freely and without prejudice & fear? Should their children develop solid foundations to begin the journey of life? Should it be focused on children at age 2 and religion prayer and ritual as the lens through which they view the wonder of the world. I did not realize I would know people who would even CONSIDER this as an option. I must admit I was aghast, perfectly well heeled, educated professional parents are putting their most precious in the hands of Farhat Hashmi.

Made me think. Given the environment we live in Pakistan, even the most religious would agree that we live in a highly intolerant and unsafe environment. Why would anyone (with a choice) to enroll their children in an environment where prejudice, ritual and gender inequality are innate to them the WorldView?

My one and only experience of Farhat Hashmi was in the late 90s where I saw all pre-adolescent girls bring to tears because they were not wearing hijab. My God Rehman and frankly no one would focus on such matters as the primary Rahim. Ethics are critical and essential in any society; ethics and values of love, respect hard work not self-righteousness and clothing!

Farhat Hashmi is a controversial religious figure that has been in the press for all the wrong reasons, fraud in Canada and in North America with a very strict interpretation of Wahhabi Islam. Each focus has been to target the upper middle classes of Pakistan and the diaspora, and has now quite far and Widely spread all teaching throughout Pakistan. If we were to expect the next generation to be tolerant and inclusive of different people, views and religion she would not be the educationist to turn to.

I did not think any of "my kind of people's every establishment would even remotely consider them as an option to shape the child's worldview. But then some of the arguments my friend made: I did not want to feel the child to be brought up with upper middle class values and did not want to feel the child to have materialistic values he consider 'boys' as friends as "normal. Of course to each is their own value system. But since when is Farhat Hashmi middle class, in fact I understand each target audience is upper middle class (income wise); there is never an emphasis on giving back to the community or encouragement for charity work to improve health education in civic sense with the Al Hud groups. If we look just to the Gulf, follows the example Farhat Hashmi & apes, and their focus on materialism is unparralel.

Furthermor to, in my humble opinion I find the convoluted attitudes Enhances segregation between the Genders and does not 'protect' it girls or boys from deviant behavior. Making something 'unnatural' instills in deviant behavior. There is enough evidence all around. Why are he Malls trying to 'ban' the boys from entering certaine and stop making a nuisance of Themselves? Why do they make nuisances of Themselves? What kind of exposure do they have to different kinds of people and the opposite sex that makes them so socially deviant? Society can not impose unnatural behavioral patterns. The ethics taught at home is what guides us in our interaction at school, society and privately. Hijab does not make it to the pious far from it.

These conversations made me think hard, what are well heeled parents making choices for their little ones so early in life and how they will impact on their lives forever.

Tuesday 28 April 2015

Sabeen Mehmud's Murder

Sabeen Mehmud’s Murder

Sitting at dinner I heard T2F’s owner Sabeen Mehmud has been gunned down in Karachi after hosting a discussion on #UnsilencingBaluchistan; Sabeen had offered to host the Talk which had been recently banned at LUMS. A talk. A discussion. & She was killed.

Shocked and unsurprised many of us carried on. Naturally the remainder of the evening went by uncomfortably but carried on we did.

Several missed calls from my sister, Sabeen’s fellow mate at Kinnaird, this skin crawling feeling grew. I couldn’t sleep that night, thinking this could be me, this could so many one knows, where am I living? I cannot recognize this land I live in. This is my home. What is going on? & I do not think only so called ‘liberals’ or ‘secular’ or ‘progressives’ were the only ones thinking this that night.

Reading Moeed Pirzada’s tweet sometime that same evening, just increased the skin crawling feeling further, blame anyone but ourselves, it’s the Fucking Indians again! How could it be anyone else? Doesn’t end, Ahmed Qureshi apparently on a vilification campaign against anything rational is also on a rampage against DR. Taimur Rehman blaming him for Sabeen’s death. How does one blame a human rights activist for a crime a gunman committed on behalf of those who do not want open discussion on ‘sensitive issues’ publicly? I would love to understand that point of view. Actually, I lie; I do not want to understand this point of view. I want to scream.

At the Islamabad literature festival another half whit tried to raise the issue of what is the State doing about the vilification campaign against our security forces? Imagine. Sabeen hasn’t been buried, it isn’t even 12 hours since her brutal murder and you have citizens in this country asking, what is being done to protect an intelligence agency. Normal? Or Sick? The Instinct to protect an institution but not a human being; a dead human being now; but not dead enough clearly?

Today, Mosharraf Zaidi’s piece also tries to shift the blame from the obvious perpetrators of this heinous crime against humanity. So many defend the indefensible. Ethics. What does that mean now? I’m sure someone will come up with a theory.

What does it take to sell your soul?

I don’t know what makes relatively educated folks turn away from the belief that unequivocally it is the unalienable right of every human being equally To believe in anything To say anything without harm. People always over a ‘nation’ or an ‘institution’. People 1st Breathing beating hearts people. Always. It bothers me. It does. Always has. And I hope always will.

Saturday 18 April 2015

Pre Modern Situation

I look forward to Saturday; Kuch Khaas’s Farmer’s market is always a wonderful way to spend the day have brunch and buy your weekly farmers goods.

Coming out the farmers market today, a young man rammed his car into my stationary car. I was so not in the mood to deal with this, but then that’s when one usually has to deal with these situations. In any other place in the world, such incidents are sorted out in a few minutes by exchanging contact details/ID and damages are sorted/ insurance etc. BUT in Pakistan this is what happened/happens:

The driver came out, and his companion suggests it was both parties fault, when I argued that a stationary car couldn’t possibly be at fault the sheepish driver meekly acknowledged his fault and offers to pay for damages. One imagined here the matter would end. Inhale and carry on sorted no? Noooooooo when I asked for his ID card to have some security and requested his cell number that’s when the Paki stepped in. I need these two items so my (absent) driver could call him to sort the damage later.

The two morons, that’s what I am going to call them, must have sensed weakness? Since everything in this country is evaluated by weakness or strength clearly rather than right or wrong.

Why do you want my ID Moron 1 asks? I cant move around Islamabad without my ID (true if you are not moving around in a land cruiser but he did have a green plate); I explained that it is not matter or ‘trust’ I do not know him and need some assurance he would pay once my driver returned and sorted the damages and would then contact him for payment.

Sensing I have no one with me, he attempted to take advantage of the situation and suggests lets instead call the police who can then decide who is at fault! Now wait a minute, how will a policeman who wasn’t present decide who was at fault? Further didn’t he acknowledge it was his fault already? Here comes the belligerence and taking advantage of a situation, a girl alone so why not harass her by entangling her in a long useless unproductive time wasting process with a policeman.

A simple accident should have been dealt with exchange of numbers & some sort of assurance to get in touch when damages needed to be paid for.

But no, a friend was pulled in, aggressive behavior to wiggle out of a simple case of an idiotic young man not watching while reversing his car.

Anyway it gets even more annoying when, a few minutes later the two morons see me with a friend inside the farmers market (went back to calm down). The two morons recognized my friend, they came over to engage him to get involved in the ‘dispute’, I nearly blew my top; thankfully our common friend realized this was becoming more ridiculous & reiterated, if you have acknowledged your fault just pay the damages what’s the issue? Why do you want to wiggle out of it? The two morons continued to try and say why don’t you ‘decide’?

Witnessing this pre modern idea of dispute resolution I realize these traditional ways are nothing more than silly men trying to equalize scores between men; this process has little to do with using reason or finding simple straightforward solutions for quick resolution for logical restitution.

Monday 13 April 2015

Passport Office

Good Morning Pakistan! While applying for my Indian visa, I realized my passport had a few months on it, which meant one had to apply for a new passport before getting the visa. I wasn’t looking forward to going to a government office; they irritate me, I must be honest, and I just cannot fathom the need for the unnecessary stamping, cues and processes which serve no information purpose or security checks; clearly they are designed for employing thousands of bureaucrats who need to do something rather than serve the public quickly and efficiently.

The Government of Pakistan's passport website states it is a easy 5 step procedure; Well 5 steps in bureaucrat language means 10 as I visually recorded and shared on my Facebook and twitter accounts.

One begins the process my going the National Bank of Pakistan’s office in G/9 where a gentlemen insists on filling in the form for you Outside for Rs100, I am not sure what purpose this serves since I can do this myself and certainly would recommend duplicate foil to cut short the repetition of filling in 4 duplicate forms. After this silliness, then one begins the battle of the cue a dedicated line for women, which is constantly invaded by pushy men trying to bully themselves to the front of the cue. Sadly for them I was in the cue, which pretty much meant no male bothered this lineup while I was in the building. I felt bad for the lone police man who did try to bring some order to these obnoxious not so gentlemen, but then our class war begins, 'who do you think you are' 'don’t teach me what to do, I will tell the manager you were bothering me' routine. This is a tiresome constant in all things Pakistani public.

Everyone’s a VIP in Pakistan. I wish we actually were.

The passport office looks quite organized and probably is compared to the thousands which are not, but my clostrophobia always sets in, when I see hundred of people, it doesn’t help that Pakistanis in general have no concept of personal space. Why is ok to touch and practically maul a complete stranger? Isn’t this supposed to be a prude infested conservative country? Clearly not when it comes to invading people’s personal space.

A very bored and exasperated young lady took my details and asked me to get a token, which would lead me through the 5 steps. All this has taken about 45 minutes thus far.

Some of the Observations in this milieu: there was no ’lady’ (no tramps J) who was unaccompied, barring yours truly. It wasn’t that the ladies looked helpless but they or their families deemed it inappropriate for them to be there alone or submit documents to government directly? From instructing women how to cover their headscarves during the picture taking or giving the documents to the government officials and listening to the instructions these men were everywhere. It is disconcerting. Yes I am aware we live in a conservative pre modern society but it bothers me nonetheless.

On of the counters, which brought a smile, was step 4 ECLBL desk; I asked the officer what was this? He wasn’t too amused, not too many ask any questions I suppose. Exit control list. Kind of funny since I cant see our powers that be who are on the list traipsing through these corridors or office. Nevertheless another stamp and signature was added to my papers and I finally after 90 minutes was sent to the 5th step ipso 10th step desk where I was to be 'interviewed' before my application for renewing my passport was accepted. Naturally I was a little miffed when number/token 115,117 skipped my token number 112! When I asked how did this happen, I was told sheepishly sometimes it does, my rye comment of ‘only in the land of the pure’ wasn’t challenged.

Finally when I did get my turn I asked, what is this interview step all about? I was informed they are trained to weed out non-nationals. I asked them after so many steps having preceded this one, how would they have escaped the detection of the army of bureaucrats before? Well they seem to have some special skills that I wasn’t made aware of. I must admit I must have had a Pakistani stamp on my forehead since I wasn’t asked any questions and was signed off as a patriot and qualified to get a passport immediately. Relief :)