I WISH to share an experience that high-lights white female privilege, Pakistani complexes and the desire to be close to ‘whiteness’ at the expense of self-respect and national pride. I foolishly joined a Dutch-Pakistani tour operator for a visit to Attock travelling through the Seven Sisters tunnels.

I was screamed at, and even had fingers wagged at me contemptuously by the Dutch woman from the tour company simply because I was slower than others as I had a twisted ankle. This happened twice during the day, and the matter was never resolved. The woman never apologised and kept blaming me for being ‘slow’.

To date, this group blames me for being slow by 11 minutes. No Pakistani came to my rescue, not even words of solidarity or sympathy during or even after the day. When I complained and pointed out her problematic behaviour, I was silenced.

The Pakistanis in the group fawned over the white Dutch woman. They were happy to know how much she ‘loved Pakistan’, stating how she had travelled more than any Pakistani, how she had ‘sacrificed’ to be here, etc. Moreover, the Dutch woman took photographs of locals without their consent, although Europeans, when they are in Europe, are really bothered about privacy and have stringent laws in this regard. She also took photos with security personnel, who shamelessly agreed to have their photos taken, something she could never do in Europe. She shoved off local passengers in the train to make space for the group.

The foreigners in the group, including United Nations international staff, also took photos without seeking consent of working class people who served them food. The tour was pointless as well because no historical background of the famed tunnels or the railway station was provided. The overall experience was bitter.

Farzana Rasheed
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2026