Expired visa: Police detain another US national

The foreigner, whose name is believed to be Aaron Mark DeHaven, was arrested in Peshawar.

PESHAWAR:

A US national was arrestedon Friday after police discovered he was in Pakistan on a visa that expired in December last year.

The foreigner, whose name is believed to be Aaron Mark DeHaven, was arrested by Peshawar Special Branch Police as he came out of his residence at Falcon Colony, University Town.

“DeHaven was asked to present documents and was arrested as his visa had expired in December 2010,” said Inspector General Police Fayaz Ahmed Turo while speaking to the media.

Police sources added he came to Pakistan on January 2, 2010 but did not apply for an extension in his visa after its expiry.

The 30-year-old DeHaven is married to a Pakistani national Rehana, and has also applied for Pakistani citizenship, intelligence and police sources said. He later claimed to have embraced Islam and introduced himself to the police as Hafeez Iqbal Haroon, sources added.

Hailing from the state of Virginia in US, DeHaven claimed initially to work for a private firm by the name of Catalyst Services (Pvt) Ltd and later said he was an employee of a security firm by the name of WorldWide, according to the police.

DeHaven was travelling in an off-white Toyota Corolla, bearing registration number QB-565 Islamabad, when he was arrested. He was later shifted to University Town police station. Security of the police station was beefed up by the authorities after DeHaven was brought there.

The US citizen has been arrested under the 14-Foreign Act while an FIR has also been registered against him. He would be produced before a court on Saturday by the police, with a plea for his remand, required under the law, for further investigations.

The police also claimed to have recovered some important documents from his car but officials denied that.

Meanwhile, a press statement issued by the US embassy said that consular access through the government of Pakistan has been arranged for DeHaven and until a US government representative meets him, they would not confirm additional details.

Many foreigners are residing in different parts of the country without legal documents. The situation forced the ministry of interior, in the second week of December last year, to ask the FIA and intelligence agencies to expel all such people from Pakistan by December 30, 2010. (with additional reporting by sumera khan in islamabad)

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26th, 2011.