Is this in the US or in Pakistan?Che wrote:I travelled with family, five people, all US citizens from US to Pakistan and back, six months after 9/11.....Lets just say it was really humiliating, every time we tried to approach the counter, the freakin attendant would make a stupid excuse that their systems were down, so it was taking so long to process your ticket, when in reality they were doing security checks.....And then the most humiliating part was getting the local police to come interview only our party at the check-in.....
Visit Pakistan 2006, A Slogan?
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I'm British w/ U.S. Permanent Residency. I have re-entered the U.S. 22 times since January '05 and have only had one problem at Passport Control - and that was a fifteen minute "penalty" wait while an inexperienced entry officer at ORD waited for his supervisor to clarify whether or not I could enter with a photocopy of a Permanent Resident card. BTW, the answer was Yes.
Customs is another story. Because of the number of 2 and 3 day foreign trips I make, I am flagged for extra screening about 50% of the time. No one has figured out that I am smuggling Sainsbury's Teabags and UA Amenity Kits!
Someone mentioned they underwent security checks on a multi-stop U.S. visit. This is different to extra scrutiny at Passport Control and Customs. What is more, it is an entirely computer generated flagging process. Passengers holding certain tickets (including PTA's, One way itineraries, cash tickets, tickets purchased overseas and U.S. bought tickets for most Middle Eastern and South Asian destinations) are usually flagged for secondary screening by the TSA. You know you are going to receive secondary screening when your boarding pass has four S's (SSSS) printed somewhere on it. The four S's are the secret code that tell the TSA screeners to give you a secondary screening.
The easiest way to avoid secondary screening is to separate the purchase of your domestic and international legs. For instance, I might purchase a DFW-ORD or a DFW-IAH r/t on UA or CO, then a separate ORD-KHI or IAH-KHI on PIA. You can always have the itineraries linked so that luggage can be interlined, connections held, etc.
Customs is another story. Because of the number of 2 and 3 day foreign trips I make, I am flagged for extra screening about 50% of the time. No one has figured out that I am smuggling Sainsbury's Teabags and UA Amenity Kits!
Someone mentioned they underwent security checks on a multi-stop U.S. visit. This is different to extra scrutiny at Passport Control and Customs. What is more, it is an entirely computer generated flagging process. Passengers holding certain tickets (including PTA's, One way itineraries, cash tickets, tickets purchased overseas and U.S. bought tickets for most Middle Eastern and South Asian destinations) are usually flagged for secondary screening by the TSA. You know you are going to receive secondary screening when your boarding pass has four S's (SSSS) printed somewhere on it. The four S's are the secret code that tell the TSA screeners to give you a secondary screening.
The easiest way to avoid secondary screening is to separate the purchase of your domestic and international legs. For instance, I might purchase a DFW-ORD or a DFW-IAH r/t on UA or CO, then a separate ORD-KHI or IAH-KHI on PIA. You can always have the itineraries linked so that luggage can be interlined, connections held, etc.
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I'm not even talking about Secondary screening, I'm talking about passport control and customs where they take you to another room and have an interview with a TSA officer (who ironically is probably an immigrant). I've had this after trips to China, Pakistan, and somehow after a SAS flight back from Copenhagen.
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In the land of the free and the home of the not so brave...PIAinORD wrote:Is this in the US or in Pakistan?Che wrote:I travelled with family, five people, all US citizens from US to Pakistan and back, six months after 9/11.....Lets just say it was really humiliating, every time we tried to approach the counter, the freakin attendant would make a stupid excuse that their systems were down, so it was taking so long to process your ticket, when in reality they were doing security checks.....And then the most humiliating part was getting the local police to come interview only our party at the check-in.....
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My Pakistani business associates and family members that travel to the U.S. are always complaining about the secondary screening process. I remind them of two things...
1) I see more white old ladies receiving secondary screening that Middle Eastern or South Asian men in their twenties.
2) There are 6-8 physical inspections and/or identity checks from the time someone shows up at the door of Karachi airport to the time they actually walk onto the aircraft. In the U.S., for an international flight, one will hit 2, 3 or a maximum of 4 such roadblocks between the time they enter the airport and board the aircraft.
I don't get hassled on arrival in the U.S. even though my name has been on the so-called "No-Fly" list. I used to receive secondary screening routinely for a couple of months in 2002, but United Airlines Security Dept. in Elk Grove Village, IL managed to get my name removed from "the list" and I have not had any trouble since - except on AA, who I refuse to fly.
1) I see more white old ladies receiving secondary screening that Middle Eastern or South Asian men in their twenties.
2) There are 6-8 physical inspections and/or identity checks from the time someone shows up at the door of Karachi airport to the time they actually walk onto the aircraft. In the U.S., for an international flight, one will hit 2, 3 or a maximum of 4 such roadblocks between the time they enter the airport and board the aircraft.
I don't get hassled on arrival in the U.S. even though my name has been on the so-called "No-Fly" list. I used to receive secondary screening routinely for a couple of months in 2002, but United Airlines Security Dept. in Elk Grove Village, IL managed to get my name removed from "the list" and I have not had any trouble since - except on AA, who I refuse to fly.
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TSA's watch list has grown to almost 100,000. If your name resembles a name on the no-fly list, you end up on the watch list. I had the same problem and was never able to do a self service check-in. I completed and sent the TSA's passenger identification verification form (PIVF) available on their web site and recently I was notified that my name has been cleared of the list.
Anyone living in US who has this probelm can do that. More info is available at TSA's website.
Anyone living in US who has this probelm can do that. More info is available at TSA's website.
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Well most people missed the point and started discussing immigration into America.
That is not the point under discussion.
The point for discussion is that if the government wants to declare 2006 as the year of visiting Pakistan, then it needs to change certain policies.
Such as removing visa restrictions for visitors, specially Indian visitors.
Improving the slow immigration process at Pakistani airports.
If no policy changes are implemented then VISIT PAKISTAN YEAR will be nothing more than a slogan.
That is not the point under discussion.
The point for discussion is that if the government wants to declare 2006 as the year of visiting Pakistan, then it needs to change certain policies.
Such as removing visa restrictions for visitors, specially Indian visitors.
Improving the slow immigration process at Pakistani airports.
If no policy changes are implemented then VISIT PAKISTAN YEAR will be nothing more than a slogan.
P.I.A
God's International Airline
God's International Airline
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World paragliding show in November
ISLAMABAD (August 27 2005): The Ministry of Tourism will hold an International Paragliding Show in November to promote tourism and create goodwill. As many as 50 para-gliders from countries including Germany and France will compete in the event, an official statement quoted the Minister for Tourism Dr G G Jamal as saying.
The statement, however, did not specify the Host City of the show.
The Federal Minister for Tourism Dr G G Jamal chaired a meeting to review arrangements, which was attended by the Secretary Tourism Saleem Gul Sheikh, MD PTDC and representatives from private sector.
The minister directed the concerned officials to make comprehensive arrangements for the event, particularly, there should be no lax on matters like security.
The minister noted the show would not only promote tourism but also help in image-building and bringing good name to the country.
Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2005
ISLAMABAD (August 27 2005): The Ministry of Tourism will hold an International Paragliding Show in November to promote tourism and create goodwill. As many as 50 para-gliders from countries including Germany and France will compete in the event, an official statement quoted the Minister for Tourism Dr G G Jamal as saying.
The statement, however, did not specify the Host City of the show.
The Federal Minister for Tourism Dr G G Jamal chaired a meeting to review arrangements, which was attended by the Secretary Tourism Saleem Gul Sheikh, MD PTDC and representatives from private sector.
The minister directed the concerned officials to make comprehensive arrangements for the event, particularly, there should be no lax on matters like security.
The minister noted the show would not only promote tourism but also help in image-building and bringing good name to the country.
Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2005
az inja boro. nemikham bebinamet dige toro.