Pakistani diplomat on private visit to US deported despite valid visa

Pakistan’s senior diplomat was denied entry into the United States despite having a valid visa and necessary documents, reported The News, a Pakistani media outlet.

KK Wagan, the Pakistani ambassador to Turkmenistan, was stopped by US immigration upon his arrival in Los Angeles and deported.

The report said he had a valid US visa and other travel documents. Immigration authorities stopped Wagan after he arrived in Los Angeles, with officials flagging concerns over diplomatic protocol.

GeoTV, another Pakistani outlet, said their foreign office has confirmed Wagan was on a private visit to Los Angeles and that the matter is being thoroughly investigated.

Quoting an unnamed official in the Pakistan foreign ministry, the report said the envoy had an "immigration objection."

US officials flagged "controversial visa references" of Wagan, though there is no clarity over the specific concerns, the report said citing diplomatic sources. He was then asked to return to his point of origin in Los Angeles. Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and other top officials have been briefed on the issue, according to the report. Wagan is likely to be summoned to Islamabad to give an explanation for the incident.

The incident comes 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.