Islamabad: In a major embarrassment to Islamabad, the United States denied entry to a top Pakistani diplomat and deported him from Los Angeles over “controversial visa references”, local media in Pakistan reported Tuesday.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkmenistan, K K Wagan was reportedly travelling to Los Angeles for a personal visit when he was stopped by the US immigration authorities upon arrival.
The US authorities flagged Wagan over “controversial visa references”, leading to his immediate deportation even though it remains unclear what specific concerns triggered this response from the American authorities.
The Pakistani Foreign Office confirmed Tuesday that their officer had gone to the US on a private visit. The Foreign Office spokesperson said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was looking into the matter of the envoy’s deportation from the US and that an investigation was underway.
“Ambassador K K Wagan was deported from the US. He had an immigration objection, which led to his deportation,” a senior Pakistani Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying by the Pakistani media.
Several reports indicate that Wagan is likely to be summoned to Islamabad to explain his side of the story.
The incident comes amid reports that US President Donald Trump would soon impose a travel ban on travellers from Pakistan to effectively stop their entry into the country.
Pakistan’s Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik Monday admitted that some travel restrictions may be introduced on Pakistani citizens by the new US administration led by President Donald Trump. Malik stated that the US has expressed concerns over the surge in terrorism-related incidents in Pakistan.
Islamabad fears that, along with Afghanistan, Pakistan will also definitely feature in the list being prepared by the Trump administration to impose a new travel ban based on a government review of security and vetting risks.
Earlier this month, the US Department of State issued a travel advisory to American citizens asking them to reconsider travel to Pakistan due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict. It advised US citizens not to travel to Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces, which include the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), due to terrorism.
Terrorism and ongoing violence by extremist elements have led to indiscriminate attacks on civilians, as well as local military and police targets in Pakistan. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, military installations, airports, universities, tourist attractions, schools, hospitals, places of worship, and government facilities. Terrorists have targeted US diplomats and diplomatic facilities in the past, the advisory stated.
