The siege has made people in Qatar more nationalistic than ever, managing director of Stepco Group Saqlain Haider Rizvi, pictured, told Qatar Urdu Radio’s live show Haqeeqat yesterday.
“The blockade has done the job of nation-building, people in Qatar regardless of nationality and background have come together to support the leadership of the country,” Rizvi said.
During the show, he spoke about the impact of the siege and Qatar’s welfare policies.
“The humanitarian aspect of the siege was huge on people from Qatar. There were violations against those who wanted to perform Haj and Umrah, then there were students, patients and families who suffered because they could not meet each other due to the siege,” Rizvi explained.
The visit of an Amnesty International team is important at this time, he stressed.
“The violations made against the people of Qatar are clear for everyone to see and the visit of the Amnesty International team shows how international organisations are taking the blockade of Qatar as a serious matter.”
Rizvi was born in Qatar and four generations of his family have lived here.
“One of the things I want to stress upon is the welfare policies of Qatar that are provided for all residents equally. I can vouch for it because my father was a cancer patient and the health facilities he received here were unparalleled vis-a-vis facilities in any other country in the world.”
Haqeeqat, which aims to engage and interact with the large South Asian expatriate community in Qatar, is a joint venture of Gulf Times and Qatar Media Corp Urdu Radio. It is broadcast from Sunday to Thursday on FM107.
Log on to Qatar Urdu Radio on Facebook and ‘@QatarUrduRadio’ on Twitter for feedback and comments about the show.
Saqlain Haider Rizvi
