SOMETIME ago, I had to apply for a visit visa to a country that required a ‘police certificate’ as well. This was the first time I had heard of the police certificate. I asked around and was told that the police in Lahore had Khidmat Centres and I could go to anyone of them and apply for a certificate. I did exactly that.

On the day I did not have to teach in the afternoon, I reached a Khidmat Centre at about 2pm. There was a long queue of some 45 men waiting to submit their applications. It was hot and all had to queue under the sun. I stood for a couple of hours and then came back. In the two hours that I had been there, the line outside had barely moved. I realised there was no way I would be able to submit my application before closing time.

Next day, I reached the Khidmat Centre about 30 minutes before opening time in the morning. There were still some 30 people in the line before me. I waited for about three hours and then had to leave as I had a class to teach. In those three hours, the documents of only seven to eight people in the men’s line appeared to have been processed. I am not sure how many got through among the women.

On both days, the men had to queue in the sun with no shade overhead. It was the height of summer and there was no water cooler installed nearby that could allow them to have a drink. The Khidmat Centre is supposed to help people. Why do we make it so hard for people to access........

© Dawn