Matter of diplomat’s deportation from US under investigation: FO – Pakistan

In response to media speculations regarding the deportation of a Pakistani diplomat from the United States, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday said that the matter was “under investigation”.

Local media reported a day ago that “Ambassador K K Wagan was deported from the US” due to an immigration objection.

In a statement issued by the foreign office today, the ministry said that the diplomat was traveling to the US for a private visit.

“The matter is being investigated by the foreign ministry,” it said.

Pakistan reached out to the state department for clarity after reports of possible travel curbs being imposed on entry to the US.

Last week, a Reuters report had suggested that Pakistan may also be included on a list of countries whose citizens would be barred from entering the US, as part of the Trump administration’s tightening noose on illegal immigration.

Subsequent reporting in the New York Times suggested that Pakistanis may not face an outright ban on travel, but may undergo “more scrutiny” when applying for a visa.

“We are in contact with the State Department, but nothing has been shared yet,” Pakistan’s US Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Shaikh told Dawn last week.