Doctors
Upset Pakistani scientist wants to surrender nationality
By IANS
May 2, 2006, 22:54

A Pakistani scientist announced he was giving up his nationality as he was upset with the government for not backing him in a case he filed against a German research institute three years ago.

Human genetic scientist Qaiser Rashid told reporters: "I will prefer nationality of a poorer country, the one which stands by its citizens in their hour of need. It's not something new as several Pakistanis have migrated to other countries after being fed up by this system."

According to Rashid, he had joined the German Arthritis Research Centre (DRFZ) on its invitation as a PhD student on Sep 23, 2002, "after I proposed a project to devise novel ways of treating lupus (an autoimmune disease that also affects the joints)".

He claimed that even after performing three successful experiments, he was disengaged from the project and expelled from the institution on Nov 11 that year without being served a 15-day notice as per the contract. "I was not even given the experience certificate and the Berlin labour court also dismissed my lawsuit in this regard," he said.

He returned to Pakistan and in August 2003 filed a petition in the Lahore High Court but nothing came of it. "I filed another petition but it was dismissed by the Lahore High Court chief justice after saying that the ministry of foreign affairs was not under any obligation to approach a foreign private institute for issuance of a certificate," he stated.

He said he was an MBBS doctor (Pakistan), a post-graduate in human genetic engineering (from Britain) and a researcher in molecular immunology (from the US).

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