THE people of Balochistan, who are already suffering from fragile law and order situation, also face humiliating attitude at government offices.

I recently visited the passport office in Quetta at 7am with a hope to get a respectable entry inside the office. It did not work. I had to wait till 2pm. Meanwhile, the so-called people from the privileged class would enter office with protocol, while we, the common people, kept on waiting for hours.

The attitude of security guards was so insulting. In case any person argued over their humiliating attitude, they would simply bring him out of the queue and brutally beat with their sticks.

After we were allowed to enter the main gate, it took us two more hours to reach the token counter. It started raining and we had to bear unkind weather being the unfortunate common people of Pakistan.

At the token counter, I was welcomed with stick on my shoulder after the frustrated people violated discipline. In this eight-hour wait in the line I saw the people fighting with each other, while some were beaten up by security guards.

In the countries I have visited so far, I never witnessed such humiliating behaviour with citizens. The data entry clerks behave as if they are doing a great favour to us. They would chat endlessly with each other, enjoying tea. If you ask them to enter the data, they would simply say: “Do not order us, otherwise you would suffer a lot. You will keep coming here for weeks but will not get your passport issued.”

In short, I got my token number at 7pm. It was announced that that there were some network problems and as such the applicants should visit the office next day. The next day the situation is no better.

I request the authorities concerned to treat people at the passport office as human beings instead of treating them as animals. The passport office staff should treat everyone equally and ask the security as well as administrative staff to be decent.

The passport-seeking procedure should be swift so that people do not get frustrated by waiting for hours outside the main gate.

More passport offices should be established in remote areas of the province so that people are not forced to travel long distances to get their passport issued, besides facing humiliating behaviour at the hands of the passport office staff.

DAWOOD TAREEN Quetta