THE visa woes narrated by Dawn readers is a sad reminder of how far and how fast our international stature has plummeted.

I recall the early 1990s when my wife was applying for a US visa and was advised to send her application and passport, along with my own (which already had a visa stamped), and have them collected af ter two days.

Similarly, twice, in 1994 and 1998, I was granted a Canadian visit visa by their consulate in New York on the day the application was filed.

In the words of the immortal bard: `O, what a fall was there, my countrymen! Hilal Ahmed Karachi