Daily Times

Sometimes, events packed with surprises occur in such quick succession that one is compelled to call them a comedy of errors. The celerity with which they take place is nerve-racking. My sister visiting from the US and a cousin visiting from Qatar were to leave on the same day, February 26 – former by Turkish Airlines and the latter by Qatar Airways. Both had the mandatory Corona tests carried out 24 hours before their flights. Sitting self-satisfied that all was in order when the events began to unfold.

While the cousin received his test report on his given cell, the sister didn’t until 10 pm when her flight was to depart at 8 am the next morning. The good cousin rushed to the laboratory located on the Ferozepur Road opposite the Gaddafi Stadium to collect the report manually. He was handed over the report and asked to depart quickly since the cricket match was in progress and roads could be choked with spectators anytime.

The Lab staff apparently had noted the incorrect cell number of my sister and sent the report on the wrong cell. But when the cousin reached home and checked the reports, to his and my sister’s horror, both Covid certificates had “Qatar Airways” mentioned on them, although the passports and seats numbers were in order. Race against time had begun, as missing or changing flights would not only cost money but the sister would miss the connecting flights.

What’s holding the elected head of the state from creating such a tourist-friendly environment that the tourists from the world over begin to arrive in droves?

The poor cousin drove to the Lab (five miles away) once again to have the error on the report removed. Meanwhile, to make matters more testing, flash rain began to pour down. When he reached the Lab, drenched in the cold rain as he had to walk some distance from the vehicle to the building, he confronted the cricket crowd emerging out of the stadium and blocking the roads. As if it all was not enough, he faced another shock when informed by the Lab staff that the IT system was down. Most of us are used to hearing about the “IT system failure” syndrome but not those living in the first world.

At 4 pm on February 26, however, both the travellers left home and headed towards the airport. The entrance of the airport was jammed with vehicles of all sizes and shapes. Big black SUVs were most prominent in violating the traffic discipline, as the men behind their wheels didn’t care about the police and security staff at the entry point. Some motorists would simply nudge into the crowded lane to make a place for themselves.

Interestingly, they observed unruly and chaotic traffic on roads, the absence of queues when waiting for turns, and other grotesque errors made by assorted staff – noting incorrect cell numbers–enough to unnerve the friends and family members visiting from overseas. They sit back to lament that “back home, it never happens like this.” Well, they forget that “back home” is another world and they were visiting their native country in the third world.

The country they left years ago refuses to change, as it suits some at the cost of teeming millions. Even though this country boasts of having a democratic form of government, it has one set of rules for the rich, influential and the powerful and another for the downtrodden – the beasts of burden.

More interestingly, the PM desires to make Pakistan a tourists’ hub. He even boasted some months ago that “tourism alone can help repay Pakistan’s debts if the sector is properly focused upon.” Noble intentions indeed! But what’s holding the elected head of the state from creating such a tourist-friendly environment that the tourists from the world over begin to arrive in droves. Hotels are booked, hill resorts flooded by tourists of both genders holding hands without caring a fig about their security.

The tragic part is that we were a civilised and disciplined nation some decades ago but have degraded with time. The bureaucracy was more efficient and honest and as a result, the civil administration was effective. The law and order situation was not as dismal as it’s now. People were generally courteous and polite. The traffic on roads, which serves as a barometer of the national mindset, was definitely more orderly. What went wrong? Why did the nation cascade downward rather than go up? The only factor responsible for it all is the missing rule of law.

The writer is a Lahore-based columnist and can be reached at pinecity@gmail.com.