Pakistan | Shattered Dream

I’ve always wanted to visit Pakistan, a beautiful country but at the same time also a complicated country, always have something coming out from this country. I don’t want to make a long story, just to cut the story short, my dream to visit Pakistan is just a dream, I don’t get the Visa, after numerous times to Pakistan Embassy here in Kuala Lumpur, they just told me to wait, they still need to get an approval from Islamabad.

My flight to Karachi is on the 11th this month but unfortunately my ticket is useless. Few years back I made a contact with my flickr friend in Pakistan, mostly from Lahore, I tell them where I want to go and when I will come, we discuss many things especially on the interest of photography and some of them did offer me to stay with them.

I just really don’t understand why Pakistan Embassy need an invitation letter from somebody in Pakistan to invite me there. I’m not on Business visit, just as a tourist, what harm can I do, I know the situation there in Pakistan is not welcoming or encouraging.

There were conflict going on there. Suicide bombing almost everywhere and happen randomly, blame it on Taliban even though as a foreigner I don’t get the crystal view about what really happening there. Somehow I feel disappointed, why can’t a person from a muslim country pay a visit to each other, aren’t we brother?

*Original Posting From My Flickr | Pakistan | A Shattered Dream

There is a reason Why I bought this magazine and copy the artwork and later on edit it like this one. The title for this cover issue is “How Pakistan Let Itself Down” by Aryn Baker. Why suddenly I post this picture? Good question but I don’t want to answer it here.

It was a very long story. All I can say is that my Dream Will Always Remain as a Dream, period… I’ve always dream to visit Pakistan even before I know how to operate an SLR, not a DSLR but a Film Camera SLR, but now it seem that at the moment Pakistan is out of reach, I’ve been to Pakistan Embassy here in Kuala Lumpur for three times already hoping to get my Visa but, they told me to wait, wait and wait.

 To all my Pakistani friends, thank you for your help, you guys really helps me a lot, I really owe you. I wish I could visit your beautiful country, to taste a bit of heaven, maybe heaven is not the right words to use at this moment but what I’m referring is your beautiful country, landscape and it’s people.

I would like to say thank you to my friends in Pakistan, Agha Rizwan Ali , Fiaz Tariq and Waheed Khalid for helping me a lot, I know, you guys really help me a lot and I promise you, I will definitely visit Pakistan when things back to “Normal”, actually I really don’t know what is “Normal” as far as Pakistan is concern, it was easier to get a Visa then, maybe your government concern about our safety.

Maybe this is not the right time, but as far as Pakistan is concern, I just don’t know when is the right time… I Love Pakistan, it is a Complicated Country and that’s Why I Love It… 🙂

*You can see original artwork from TIME magazine issue May 25 2009. Original Photo Illustration by Cecilia Wong.