In a major embarrassment for Pakistan, a senior diplomat was denied entry into the US despite having a valid visa and necessary documents, reported The News, a Pakistani media outlet. KK Wagan, the ambassador of Pakistan to Turkmenistan, was stopped by the US immigration on his arrival in Los Angeles and deported.
Quoting an unnamed official in the Pakistan foreign ministry, the report said the envoy had an “immigration objection”.
Mr Wagan, a seasoned diplomat, was on a personal trip to Los Angeles. The report said he had a valid US visa and other travel documents.
Immigration authorities stopped Mr Wagan after he arrived in Los Angeles with officials flagging concerns over diplomatic protocol. The US officials flagged “controversial visa references” of Mr Wagan, though there is no clarity over the specific concerns, the report said citing diplomatic sources.
He was then asked to return from where he had arrived in Los Angeles.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and other top officials have been briefed on the issue, according to the report. Mr Wagan is likely to be summoned to Islamabad to give an explanation over the incident.
GeoTV, another Pakistani outlet, said their foreign office has confirmed Mr Wagan was on a private visit to Los Angeles and that the matter is being thoroughly investigated.
The incident is a major cause of embarrassment for Islamabad amid reports that US President Donald Trump would soon impose a travel ban on the country that effectively stops the entry of Pakistanis into the US.