Overstaying in Pakistan

21/10/11

Overstay: Day 1

Location: Peshawar

Weather: Hot

Today is the 1^st day of overstaying in Pakistan. I’m taking a train back to Rawalpindi, taking with me all the feeling of frustration and dismay. For those who just read this, I was actually sent back by the Directorate of General Immigration & Passports in Peshawar to Islamabad. They couldn’t issue the visa extension for me unless I show them a letter from the Ministry of Interior in Islamabad.

(This is all bullshit! All the Directorates of General Immigration & Passports are under the Ministry of Interior!)

So I’m in Rawalpindi again, the jumping off point as well as the transport hub to Islamabad. I think God must have made a big joke on me. It’s Friday today. Friday supposed to be the off day in an Islamic country. According to my travel guidebook, government offices in Pakistan operate from 8am to 3pm Monday to Thursday and Saturday and 8am to 12noon on Friday. By the time I arrived in Rawalpindi, it’s already 1pm. So I decided not to go to the Secretariat Quarters in Islamabad. I won’t be able to get the letter either. I don’t want to let disappointment further assaulted me by bumping into closed doors again. It’s enough. I’m fed up and exhausted now. What’s the difference of overstaying 1 day and 2 days?

I’m going for the letter tomorrow.

22/10/11

Overstay: Day 2

Location: Rawalpindi

Weather: Raining

Today is the 2^nd consecutive day of overstaying in Pakistan. I didn’t actually sleep well last night. I wake up before 6am. Feeling unsecured. To be honest with you, I’m suffering from unknown illness again, at this critical juncture. A combination of fever, cold, fatigue, stomachache and of course diarrhea struck me relentlessly. I suddenly found myself so piteous and lonely that I nearly cried out loud in the middle of nobody for all the misfortunes befalling on me.

By carrying the troublesome stomach, heavy-footed, I hopped on the first minibus to Islamabad. It wasn’t until I arrived in the Islamabad’s Secretariat Quarter from Super Market by foot that I realized all government offices are closed on Saturday and Sunday. The security guard at the checkpoint en route asked me to come on Monday. ‘8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday’, said him. What? Friday? Is it open on Friday? F**k the Lonely Planet! I should have been able to get the letter yesterday after arriving from Peshawar if not because of the misleading Lonely Planet! Damn it!

Feeling unproductive, I decided to go to the Regional Passport Office to knock the door since I’m already in Islamabad. When the minibus dropped me at Peshawar Mor, there were only 2 or 3 people holding files and wandering outside the building, presumably waiting for something. It’s 9am. When I got closer, the door was closed but not locked. There is a big and clear signboard in front of the Passport Office stating OPEN on Saturday from 9am-12noon. I checked my watch twice and yes, it’s Saturday today and yes, it’s 9am. So I joined the ‘crowd’, telling myself it’s just bureaucracy. The government servants never report to work on time. Just hold my breath and spare another 30 minutes or so and all the trouble could be resolved today as the officer here never asked for any letter from the Ministry the last time I visited here.

Then someone approached me and told me it’s holiday today. I quickly shook my head to remain conscious. What? Holiday? I presumed what he meant is off day. But before I could point the signboard in front of the closed door to him, the guy already left.

So I was stuck again.

23/10/11

Overstay: Day 3

Location: Rawalpindi

Weather: Cloudy

Today is my 3^rd consecutive day of overstaying in Pakistan. I went to the Internet café to tell the world that I’m still alive, and also to check out some idea on how the visa extension works out.

There have been mixes of travel experience and stories. While some says a letter from your hotel is necessary to apply for the extension, other says no. One needs to write a letter to the Ministry of Interior in advance and seek for their signature before you can proceed for the extension in the Passport Office. Some says one can get the extension on the same day, without any charge but meanwhile other was telling the opposite way. It’s so confusing! It seems like there have been too many ‘standard procedure’ on the visa extension things. Every passport office in every city in Pakistan has their own bureaucracy. The only standardization in this country is that there is no standardization!

Then I received an online message telling that Pakistan’s visa on arrival at Sost has been canceled by the Ministry of interior. SowPeng is not going to make it to Pakistan from China. So does Ah Leong. This is undisputedly a big news especially for overland travelers alike! And it could have further impact on my VOA extension here as it seemed like the whole policy has been revised.

Oh, My God!

The whole things would come to surface tomorrow. Wish me good luck and pray for me. Til then.

24/10/11

Overstay: Day 4

Location: Rawalpindi

Weather: Fine

Today is my 4^th consecutive day of overstaying in Pakistan. It’s killing me for having to kill time in Rawalpindi. ‘Luckily’ I fell sick at this critical juncture and was able to take this excuse to have a rest and lazy around. And also to take this opportunity to write. There have been too many things to put into words ever since I arrived in the twin city of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. It’s not easy for the day to have finally turned to Monday.

So with all the hopeless hope, I hopped on the same minibus to the Regional Passport Office, without prior visit to the Ministry of Interior. Since they never asked about the letter during my first successful visit here, I don’t want to act smart. I still can go to the Ministry on the same day only if they asked. It wasn’t until I alighted in front of the Passport Office that I realized something has gone wrong. It’s 9.15am. Nobody was there. The God damn door was again closed. I was told by the same guy who approached me two days ago that it’s HOLIDAY today. The Passport Office is closed today. God damn it! Again? Today is Monday, man and are you telling me Monday is holiday? When’s actually the day this God damn office open? Where are all the God damn Pakistani government servants? Sleeping in their cosy big luxury house? Pointed to the same signboard in front of the door, I unleashed my anger and hatred on him complaining on how I have been waiting for this God damn office to open since last Friday and how I have been suffering from this God damn visa extension for weeks, from Islamabad to Peshawar and then Islamabad again.

The guy then asked me why I didn’t come on Sunday. Huh? What? What’s this f**king thing? He is the one telling me that the office is closed during Saturday and Sunday when I came on Saturday and asked me to come back on Monday and now he is questioning why I didn’t come on Sunday? By the way, who’s this guy? A security guard? Is he from the government? Or he is just a street beggar? I didn’t even know him! I totally surrendered under Pakistanis’ ‘courtesy’!

So this is the thing, huh? This is all about making foreigners overstay and extort money from them later on when they seek for extension because they won’t have any excuse not to pay for the fine due to the avoidable overstay!

Enough! Enough! It’s enough! I’m leaving to Lahore now, right here and right now! If I can’t get my visa extended in Lahore then I’m leaving this country for God’s sake!