Islamabad:
The Foreign Office said on Tuesday that it was investigating an incident in which Pakistani ambassador to Turkmenistan, Ahsan Wagan, was denied entry into the United States and sent back by US authorities.
In a statement, spokesman for the Foreign Office clarified that Wagan was not on an official visit to the United States but traveled privately.
“Answers to media speculation regarding non-intercourse and the return of a Pakistani diplomat from the United States, the spokesman clarified that the officer had traveled to a private visit. The case is being investigated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the statement read.
The statement did not specify why the Pakistani diplomat was denied entry, but urged people to avoid speculation about the case.
The incident took place on Monday in Los Angeles International Airport in California.
Ahsan Wagan comes from Naushahro Feroze, Sindh, and joined Pakistan’s foreign service in 1996. After serving in the foreign office in his early career, he was published as second secretary at the Pakistani Embassy in Kathmandu, Nepal (2000–2004).
Wagan has previously served in the United States in the past. From 2006 to 2009 he was a deputy Consul General at the Pakistani Consulate in Los Angeles.
Later he served as Deputy Manager for Mission in Oman (2009-2013) and as head of a mission at Pakistan’s Embassy in Niger (2015-2019).
After this he was appointed Pakistan’s ambassador to Muscat (2019-2022). After returning to Islamabad in 2022, he served as Director -General of Overseas Pakistanis, Consular Affairs and the Crisis Management Unit at the Foreign Office.
Diplomatic sources have called the incident “unprecedented” when Wagan had complete documentation that was still denied entry.
A fo -kilde told The Express Pakinomist that when Wagan was on a private visit, he did not enjoy diplomatic privileges.
The source explained that if a diplomat raises on an official visit, they receive a protocol, but otherwise they will not receive diplomatic privileges.
However, the source confirmed that Wagan had informed and obtained permission from the Foreign Office before traveling to the United States. It is mandatory for any diplomat to seek prior approval before visiting another country in a private capacity.
According to sources, it suggests to stop a diplomat in this way the presence of a ‘red flag’ currently under investigation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
They also noted that even with a valid visa, US immigration responsible authority has to allow or refuse access to a traveler.
Wagan’s case has emerged in the middle of reports that Pakistan may be included in a list of countries subject to a potential US travel ban.
However, no official message has been made yet.
Reuters News Agency, quoting sources, reported that Pakistan was among the countries considered for the ban. However, Prime Minister of Law and Justice Attorney Aqeel rejected the reports on Monday and insisted that they were untrue.
