Indian consulate in Dubai fails to help Indian expat

Ten days after India's Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, took to Twitter to seek visa help for an Indian father in Dubai, the Indian Consulate here has failed to move the process forward.
Yasin Sharif has been waiting more than 68 days for a medical attendance visa for his Pakistani wife, so that she can travel to India with their disabled son for medical treatment.
But when Khaleej Times' queried the delay in visa processing with the Consulate on November 7, it responded SIX days later (on November 13) with a rather unhelpful, four-word response: "We are awaiting clearance."
"I am an Indian man and the Consulate is meant to be here to help me but I am not getting any help," Sharif told Khaleej Times on Monday.
The father-of-two initially applied for his wife's visa on September 8. He was told the application process would take up to 40 days, which it has now well exceeded.

And even when Sushma Swaraj publicly responded to his tweet for help on November 5 saying "I am asking our mission in Dubai to help your wife.", the Consulate still failed to step up.
"I understand there is a procedure but all I am asking for is an explanation as to why it is being delayed so much. When I contact them they give no helpful response. And it sometimes takes them up to 10 days to reply," he said.
Sharif took to Twitter again on Friday (November 11) pleading with Swaraj for a follow up with the Consulate, but she is yet to reply.
In his tweet he wrote: "@SushmaSwaraj sorry to tweet you again, still no response from Dxb consulate, plz assist."
Swaraj is no stranger to requests for help on Twitter.
Earlier this month another Indian man, Namunduri Venkata Rao, used the social media platform to request assistance to get a visa so he could visit Ukraine, where his son was admitted to hospital.
Using the handle, @nvrao61, he wrote: "My son suffering pneumonia coma from 10 days, pls help me provide visa urgently to visit my son in Zaprozhye Hospital, Ukraine."
To which Swaraj replied saying her office will contact him.
Kelly@khaleejtimes.com
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