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The Huron Expositor • August 26, 2009 Pogo
Mac's Milk contract dealer still waiting to hear
from Miristry of Citizenship about bid to stay
Dan Schwab
After gaining the support of more
than 1,000 people through a peti-
tion to stay in Canada, Tariq Mu-
hammad is still unsure whether
his bid to remain• in the country
will be enough to keep him here.
The Mac's Milk contract dealer,
who was originally told he'd be
sent back to his native Pakistan in
May, is waiting to hear back from
the Ministry of Citizenship and Im-
migration about his application to
remain in Canada on humanitar-
ian and compassionate grounds.
The Ministry received his appli-
cation: on May 25 and a representa-
tive from the head office told Mu-
hammad he may have to wait up to
two years for an answer.
"They said they don't know how
much time it'll take to - process it,
Muhammad says. "I can do nothing
about it."
In the interim, Muhammad has
been busy making phone calls to
his lawyer and building a stronger
case to stay here. He's also looked
to Huron -Bruce MP Ben Lobb's of-
fice for support.
Bill Strong, manager of Lobb's
Goderich office, says he's beep told
it takes an average of 105 days
from the time the Ministry receives
an application until it's assigned a
file number.
"It's a slow process," Strong says.
"There are thousands of people in
the same situation that (Muham-
mad) is in. It's just a matter of
getting to it, that's the first thing.
They have backlogs."
Muhammad's lawyer Peter Wueb-
bolt, who's based in Toronto, says
"the rule of thumb is that these ap-
plications take two years to com-
plete."
He adds that even though Mu-
hammad has filed an application,
it won't necessarily prevent him
from being sent back to Pakistan
by the Canada Border Services
Agency (CBSA) at any time.
"The sad part is, the fact that
you file doesn't grant allowance
to stay here," Wuebbolt says. "But
they (CBSA) understand that to re-
move him is not as expeditious as
it would be in other cases, because
he has a business and there are re-
percussions to his employees."
Wuebbolt says he's sent many let-
ters to the Ministry and the CBSA
supporting Muhammad's case to be
granted permanent resident status
in Canada.
"He's provid-
ing job' oppor-
tunities in a
community that
perhaps is need-
ing that sup-
port," Wuebbolt
says, adding,
"The whole hope
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has been to get this ap-
plication in front of deci-
sion makers as soon as
possible."
Wuebbolt says Lobb
may have the best chance
in making this happen,
by appealing Muham-
mad's case directly to
Minister of Citizenship
and Immigration Jason
Kenney.
"I'm not trying to pass
the buck. but (Lobb)
would know how to get
it through the system to
the Minister or one of his
agents," Wuebbolt says.
Strong says that Ken-
ney was presented with.
Muhammad's petition to
stay in Canada at the be-
ginning of the summer,
but says he believes the
best approach that he
could take at this time
would be to keep a low
profile.
•
Tariq Muhammad
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