Guest at party after visa OK
A Pakistani man who was barred from attending a World War II veteran’s 100th birthday party in Taranaki because he was denied a New Zealand visa managed to make it after all – arriving in the middle of the event after a 13,000 kilometre, last-minute flight.
Shams Tahir Khokhar had been refused a permit to enter the country and was resigned to missing Colin Cochran’s milestone celebration in New Plymouth on Saturday afternoon.
But at the 11th hour Khokhar, a friend of Cochran’s daughter Brenda Fernee, received a phone call from Immigration New Zealand’s (INZ) Beijing office telling him he could have a limited visa.
And six hours later, after a mad rush to get everything ready, he was on a plane from Karachi and heading for Taranaki.
‘‘I ring my two friends and they came. I said there is the visa. They can’t believe it,’’ he said, from Cochran’s home in New Plymouth. ‘‘So I rushed to travel agent, book ticket quickly, quickly, went shopping, got new shoes and two trousers.’’
Khokhar had paid to have Cochran’s war memoirs printed in Pakistan as a gift. The plan was for him to bring the books to the party where he was guest of honour. But Khokhar’s application for a visa was denied – and his story made national headlines on Stuff.
On Thursday morning (Pakistan time), Khokhar received the call from INZ, saying he could come for two weeks.
He was out cycling with his friend when his phone rang.
‘‘I said to my friend, my phone’s ringing, it’s plus 8. This is international number. Where is it coming from? I thought maybe a friend from Dubai or something.’’
But it was INZ with surprising news, he said. ‘‘I thought what? How is that is possible? They had said, ‘no you are not allowed to be going there’.’’
While he just managed to make the flight, Khokhar said he didn’t have time to get gifts for people, including New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young, who had helped with the visa.
Fernee said she got the from Khokhar at 11pm.
‘‘He said ‘I’ve got the visa’. I said, ‘stop teasing’. I couldn’t believe it. Then I woke up my poor husband who was sleeping. So neither of us slept all night.’’
Khokhar had booked his flight from Karachi to Dubai and on to Auckland, and Fernee immediately call booked the last leg to New Plymouth.
Cochran said he had a wonderful party at the New Plymouth RSA and he was pleased Khokhar had made it. ‘‘We were very relieved. For a long, long while we thought he couldn’t make it and we couldn’t hold the book launch.’’
Khokhar brought the books to Cochran’s party. Everyone who took a copy gave a donation, raising $900 for the New Plymouth RSA.
Khokhar’s first impressions of New Plymouth are that it’s a quiet city. ‘‘Karachi, where I live, there is so much population. People everywhere, loud voices and cars but New Plymouth is very quiet. And people are very friendly.’’
INZ Visa Services Manager Michael Carley said the original decision to deny Khokhar the visa was correct.
‘‘INZ obtained significant new information on February 21, 2019, which has allowed us to offer Mr Khokhar a limited visa. The new information was not obtained from Mr Khokhar. This is not an overturning of the previous correct decision, rather the new information provides INZ the opportunity to offer a limited visa. Mr Khokhar has accepted the offer of a limited visa with the express purpose of attending the 100th birthday party.’’