ISLAMABAD: In a shocking development, the Foreign Office (FO) confirmed on Tuesday that the Pakistan’s Ambassador to Turkmenistan was denied entry into the United States and subsequently deported from Los Angeles.
A senior Foreign Ministry official stated: “Ambassador K K Wagan was deported from the US. He had an immigration objection which led to his deportation.”
The top Pakistani diplomat reportedly had a valid US vista along with complete required documents when he was stopped by immigration authorities in Los Angeles.
It must be noted that the incident is highly unusual and against diplomatic norms as the immigration officials forced him to return to his place of departure at the spot.
According to reports, the Pakistani Ambassador was travelling to US for a personal visit when he was stopped by US immigration officials.
Foreign Office of Pakistan confirmed the deportation of its diplomat from the United States, assuring that it was investigating the incident.
Geo News reported that the reason behind Ambassador’s by US immigration authorities was due to “controversial visa references.” However, it remains unclear what exact concern led to Ambassador K K Wagan being red-flagged by immigration authorities.
K K Wagan is a seasoned diplomat who has held several major assignments over the course of his career including second secretary at the Embassy of Pakistan in Kathmandu, deputy consul general at the Consulate General of Pakistan in Los Angeles.
The deportation of a Pakistani diplomat is a worrying development as the incident has already been communicated to Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Foreign Secretary Aamna Baloch.
It merits a mention that Reuters last week reported that US President Donald Trump’s new executive order could put a blanket travel ban on Pakistan and Afghanistan travellers trying to enter the US.
The news harkened back to Trump’s first tenure in which he implemented a travel ban targeting Muslim-majority countries.
