Pakistani travellers concerned over Trump's ban

The administration of US President Donald Trump is involved in a legal battle to reinstate a controversial travel ban which targets the citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries and prohibits their entry into the United States of America.

While Pakistan is not among the seven countries listed in the travel ban, citizens of the country are still apprehensive about travelling to and from the US.

Mother of a toddler, a Pakistani woman living in the United States, had been planning to see her family in Pakistan since the past few months. However, policy changes in her home country led her to unpack her suitcase, keeping back the gifts she had bought for her brother and father. She cancelled her ticket to Pakistan, fearing she might not be able to return to her home.

While talking to Geo.tv, the woman said her visit to Pakistan was scheduled for early February but she had to cancel it. Her son and husband both are citizens of the US, as per the law. "[However] I cancelled my ticket, fearing they might not let me return."

She requested anonymity, fearing anything could happen given the uncertainty looming over Pakistanis in America. She moved to the US after her marriage to a Pakistani-American there.  

The woman added they have relatives who are lawyers in the US. "They are suggesting not the leave the country until the situation gets better."

She believes the impact is not limited to Pakistanis but takes Muslims as well under the ambit. "My husband's friend and his wife are on an H1 visa," she said, adding even though they were on H1 visa, they were kept waiting at the airport for over two hours. She mentioned their faith — Islam — believing it could be the reason they were stopped. H1 is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ workers in fields such as information technology, engineering, medicine and finance.  

Although the White House reports have rejected that Pakistanis would face a travel ban to the United States, people of the country in and out of US remain apprehensive.

They fear the next move of the Trump administration could fall as a boulder on their professional, academic or family life.

However, the situation might not be as bad for Pakistanis as expected. There are many who managed to reach the US without having to go through a difficult time at the airports there. A man, who reached the US to meet his son, was stopped at the airport for enquiry, but managed to get in without being "harassed". His family members said they were worried while he was travelling, but expected that he would be stopped at the airport.

Another woman from Pakistan has recently left for the US with her husband and daughter who is a toddler. For her too, getting into the country, on a visit visa, was not a problem, she told Geo.tv.

Identities of people interviewed for this article were withheld upon their request