While addressing businessmen and industrialists in Islamabad last month, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced incentives to those who invest in certain sectors. He announced that 400 Privileged Tax Payers Cards will be issued which will entitle the cardholder access to VIP airport lounge and fast track clearance (immigration etc airports). 15 years or so back the then Finance Minister on the august floor of the National Assembly presenting the new Budget announced a similar incentive scheme to the Overseas Pakistanis (OPs). Under that scheme one who remitted through legal channel was to be issued an OPF Remittance Card of the category according to his annual remittance.
The categories of cards were Silver, Gold and Platinum entitling different incentives. Two such incentives irrespective of one’s category of the card held were quick handling counters at the airports and the card holders to be invited to all official functions held by Pakistani Missions abroad. On the issue of separate special counters there is no need to mention how important they would have been. A month before the end of the previous governments’ tenure, on a question by an Overseas Pakistanis about the separate counters, the then Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Dr. Farooq Sattar on record said that there should be such separate counters. The announcement was for separate counters for immigration and customs clearance. There was talk of another type of counter called the OPF Facilitation Counters on which at least I have never seen any attendance. On August 18, 2013 on arrival from abroad I found the counter in the immigration hall closed.
On November 7,when I arrived the counter was again closed. I wanted to snap a photograph for which first I enquired from an immigration officer who told me the counter mostly remained closed but photographing in this hall was not allowed.  In our country, the words of our leaders have no worth. We have seen so many cases where nothing is resolved, commission after commission is made which never delivers, suo moto notices go down the drain. Our political leadership has many only hot air to blow and no results to show! These OPs Remittances Cards are valid only for a year from date of issuance. In the early years I applied twice. My first card was a silver one and the second one Gold. For the last 12 years, I know how useless these cards are and will never again apply for a card promised by any leader of Pakistan!
JAVED,
Karachi, December 23.