Apartheid in Modern Pakistan

The word apartheid comes from the Afrikaans word for “apartness”, and was used to refer to a system of “separate development” under which government policies and regulations were applied unequally to different groups of people based on their race. In Apartheid South Africa, Pakistanis fell into the “Asian” category, along with their Indian brothers and sisters. One of the manifestations of this system was the assignment of different residential and commercial sectors within cities to members of different racial groups.

Ever since I first visited Pakistan, I couldn't help but feel that a similar, if less formal, system exists unchallenged right here, based on religious and socio-economic divisions, as well as on race and nationality. Islamabad itself is a bubble, set apart from the rest of country and benefitting from superior services and amenities to those found in all other parts of Pakistan. Within the Capital Territory we have the Christian colonies – ramshackle ghettos where Christian menial workers who sweep the streets and clean the homes of the wealthy, reside - as well as the exclusive, upmarket districts stretching from sectors F-6 to F-10. In every major town and city across the country we also have the cantonments – relics from the era of British colonial rule, where members of the armed forces and their families enjoy luxuries like carpeted roads, pristine parks and steady supplies of electricity, gas and water.

As a foreigner, this feeling of apartness is brought into sharp focus in Islamabad's Diplomatic Enclave – a neighbourhood occupying a swathe of prime real estate located between Constitution Avenue and Bari Imam. If you're a Pakistani, and you'd like to tour this part of your capital city, your best bet is to apply for a job as a security guard, or failing that, to undertake a virtual visit, using Google Earth, because in this El Dorado of embassies, restaurants, fitness clubs, bars and restaurants, you're not welcome.

A couple of years ago, a controversy erupted in the local press over a sign displayed in a foreign operated restaurant, which read “No Pakistanis Allowed”. The owner of the business was almost expelled from the country, but an understanding was reached under which the sign was removed and the owner agreed to allow Pakistanis (well, those who could penetrate the outer perimeter) inside . One of the embassies is rumoured to have banned all journalists from entering its club, since a visiting reporter highlighted racist comments made by one of the club's members in an newspaper article. In another club, you can find a sign which states that only people of a particular nationality are allowed to dine on the restaurant's terrace on Saturdays.

Now, I know it is not unusual for foreign missions to be concentrated in particular neighbourhoods of capital cities, and I understand the need to provide tight security for embassies and diplomats, but what is unusual is for an entire neighbourhood in a capital city to be declared off limits to the “natives”. As a foreigner, I find it offensive and embarrassing when I attempt to enter the enclave in the company of a “native”, who despite having an invitation from an embassy (and in some cases holding a Western passport) is either turned back, or has to beg and plead with the security guards to be allowed inside.

If I feel embarrassed and offended when I encounter situations where people I know are subjected to discrimination, I can only try to imagine how Pakistanis who are subjected to discrimination on a daily basis in their own country, because of their class, creed or lack of connections, might feel.

One Labour Day, I was queueing to buy alcohol at one of Islamabad's permit rooms, when the man at the hatch called me to the front of the queue. I pointed out that there were several “natives” in front of me, to which he replied “but sir, you are a diplomat”. I corrected the man, explaining that I'm just an average guy with a foreign passport – prompting laughs and cheers of “Pakistan Zindabad” from the rest of the people in the queue.

Now I know that Pakistan has a plethora of social, security and economic issues that urgently need to be tackled, but considering the fact that apartheid ended in South Africa in 1994, isn't it time that this abhorrent concept be laid to rest in Pakistan?