US nationals barred from entering Peshawar

Americans sent back to Islamabad for not having permission.

PESHAWAR:

Two US nationals were barred from entering Peshawar on Thursday and were sent back to Islamabad for not obtaining permission to enter the provincial capital, sources told The Express Tribune.

The incident took place at the Motorway Interchange within the limits of Chamkani police station limits when the police intercepted a vehicle carrying two foreigners. The US nationals were identified as George and William.

While the vehicle they were travelling in had permission to enter Peshawar, the two Americans said they were going to the city for a meeting at the US consulate. However, sources said that the two were entering the provincial capital without the required permission. The foreigners were travelling with a guard and a driver, and refused to step out of the vehicle. They showed the authorities their passports which carried valid visas [till August].

The authorities, however, did not allow the two to enter the city.

Meanwhile, security personnel also stopped a Norwegian citizen at the same spot. He, however, was allowed to enter the city after it was discovered that he had a valid No-Objection Certificate (NOC) on him.

According to sources, another vehicle was prohibited from entering the city for not having the required documents. This vehicle, too, belonged to some US nationals, but there was no foreigner in the vehicle at the time it was intercepted, sources said.

Officials at the Chamkani police station said they were not aware of any such incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2011.