THE fate of a driver, or rather of his body, reflects the difficulties faced by the families of those who die abroad, who try to bring their loved one's body back home for burial. Riasat Ali, a driver, died in an accident in Baghdad, but his body has not come back to Pakistan despite the passage of two and a half months, mainly because there is no Pakistan Embassy in Baghdad, and the Embassy in Kuwait is not taking responsibility for the body of a person who died in Iraq, though it has been accredited to Iraq. Even the Foreign Office has not helped the four daughters of the dead man despite strenuous efforts, nor has the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation. The first thing to be noted is that the Kuwait mission, if accredited to Baghdad, should have been more responsive. Unfortunately, even when there is no excuse for buck-passing, getting a loved one home can be a painful experience, adding to the pain of deprivation. Pakistani missions abroad simply are not helpful enough, nor sensitive enough at this moment of dire need. But there is also the question of why international NGOs are so worried about prisoners of conscience, but not about such cases. An example is Amnesty International, which is working hard against the death sentence, and for prisoners of conscience, even though this is a much more clear-cut case of human dilemma crossing international boundaries. Apart from taking up the present case at once, the fate of those who die abroad deserves to be treated more sympathetically, and the government must ensure this by careful monitoring. The airlines must also show a more caring attitude than at present, and the national flag-carrier must be made to play its due role. The Overseas Pakistanis Foundation must not think that its role is restricted to the living, and this is only possible with pressure coming from above. Those who go abroad must not be regarded merely as sources of remittances, to be ignored as soon as an accident happens which stops them, but as real people, with real needs, right to the end.