Pak expats in UAE worried as unable to contact back home

Dubai, Nov 5 (UNI) Pakistani expatriates in UAE are finding it hard to contact their near and dear ones in their country, after the Internet and SMS services were allegedly blocked in the wake of imposition of emergency in the Islamic nation.

Mohammed Saleem, a marketing executive, whose family is based in Multan, said he was unable to contact his family back home since the emergency was imposed.

''I have been trying to call them, but the telephone lines were jammed. I also sent several SMS messages, but got no response.

Later, I learnt that SMS services had also been blocked by the government, along with the Internet, in some parts of the country.

I just want to hear them say they are safe,'' he said.

Choudary Mustafa Kamal, a pharmacist in Sharjah said,''Some friends of mine are worried because they are unable to get in touch with their family members. Pakistani expats are waiting and watching the turnout of events.'' Several were considering rescheduling their travel plans to the Islamic nation until the political situation returned to normal.

''I may delay the visit that I was planning during Eid in case the political situation does not improve by then. But I definitely will go back to my country however big a crisis arises,'' Khaleej Times quoted Laique Khan, a Sharjah-based businessman as saying.

Pakistani expatriates in the UAE gave a mixed reaction to the emergency imposed in their country. While some termed the emergency as a ''black day'' in the history of the Islamic nation, the others welcomed the decision as an ''extraordinary measure'' to restore the law and order in the country.

President Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency in Pakistan on Saturday, citing deteriorating law and order situation and a hostile judiciary as the prime reasons for the move.

UNI