Once Pakistan American Cultural Centre (PACC) and the the American Center people loved to visit. The PACC was a place where everyone would go to see plays and other cultural activities..The American Centre had a very popular library it even had a small cinema hall. In that small cinema hall a movie 'Citizen Kane' was shown amongst others. Occasionally American Advertising Awards films were shown.
The American Centre in Karachi use to issue visas - now everyone has to go to Islamabad. - for me it makes no difference to me one way or another because I never planned to and do not intend to visit the United States of America.
After all there are so many other countries in the world which I much rather visit, the only reason I mentioned this is because there use long lines for people in front of the visa section - it must be a 'tremendous inconvenience' for them - now not one person leave a line of people can stand in front of the American Centre.
The road on which PACC is located is now permanently blocked, there are very large containers on both sides of the road, one can neither enter nor leave. The American Centre has been transformed into a fortress - so no more cultural activies, no more visits to the library or watching films.
Road on which the PACC is located is called Fatima Jinnah Road, it is said that it will remain closed for traffic for most likely for the next decade and may open after that - I will know this, if I ever get to live that long, to see that actually see this happen.
How things change. There is an environment of insecurity - despite all the guards. In fact everything remotely associated to the United States of America is unsafe and dangerous. The way American Centre building looks like - straight out of some mystery TV show or a movie - it has all those errily suspicious looking antennas and sprouting from its ceiling, makes you wonder as to what those things are there for. (Hi-tech espionage? Perhaps)
Things have become the exact opposite of what they were, there is no more warmth and closeness. Those have been replaced with coldness and distance. The consul general would prefer to remainin hinding instead of greeting people with open arms. His function as a diplomat has ceased to be entirely, he (or she) is a person under siege including his entire staff.
My limited understanding of the function of any diplomat regardless of which country he belongs tto - is to be friendly person and give a nice impression about his country.
Of course not every country has the resources to set up libraries and theatres - but their diplomats do compensate this by invite all kinds of people to receptions - so that people should have a good impression about his country.
Considering the fact that no one feels safe anymore, particularly in Karachi - I would strongly recommend that all of them should shift out and represent themselves on the Internet Already people are filling out visa and citizenship forms over the Internet, there really no need for the physical presence of any ambassador or consul general of any country to be in Karachi. Let Karachi be for the people of Karachi.
The American Centre in Karachi use to issue visas - now everyone has to go to Islamabad. - for me it makes no difference to me one way or another because I never planned to and do not intend to visit the United States of America.
After all there are so many other countries in the world which I much rather visit, the only reason I mentioned this is because there use long lines for people in front of the visa section - it must be a 'tremendous inconvenience' for them - now not one person leave a line of people can stand in front of the American Centre.
The road on which PACC is located is now permanently blocked, there are very large containers on both sides of the road, one can neither enter nor leave. The American Centre has been transformed into a fortress - so no more cultural activies, no more visits to the library or watching films.
Road on which the PACC is located is called Fatima Jinnah Road, it is said that it will remain closed for traffic for most likely for the next decade and may open after that - I will know this, if I ever get to live that long, to see that actually see this happen.
How things change. There is an environment of insecurity - despite all the guards. In fact everything remotely associated to the United States of America is unsafe and dangerous. The way American Centre building looks like - straight out of some mystery TV show or a movie - it has all those errily suspicious looking antennas and sprouting from its ceiling, makes you wonder as to what those things are there for. (Hi-tech espionage? Perhaps)
Things have become the exact opposite of what they were, there is no more warmth and closeness. Those have been replaced with coldness and distance. The consul general would prefer to remainin hinding instead of greeting people with open arms. His function as a diplomat has ceased to be entirely, he (or she) is a person under siege including his entire staff.
My limited understanding of the function of any diplomat regardless of which country he belongs tto - is to be friendly person and give a nice impression about his country.
Of course not every country has the resources to set up libraries and theatres - but their diplomats do compensate this by invite all kinds of people to receptions - so that people should have a good impression about his country.
Considering the fact that no one feels safe anymore, particularly in Karachi - I would strongly recommend that all of them should shift out and represent themselves on the Internet Already people are filling out visa and citizenship forms over the Internet, there really no need for the physical presence of any ambassador or consul general of any country to be in Karachi. Let Karachi be for the people of Karachi.
Comments