Us embassy statement: Visa policy misconceptions clarified

ISLAMABAD: Some media outlets in Pakistan have mischaracterised statements by US Ambassador Cameron Munter at the University of Sindh on May 10 to imply that individuals with certain names are not eligible for US visas, said a US embassy statement on Thursday. “This is patently false. It is specifically untrue that the ambassador in any way denigrated names with religious derivations. As the Ambassador’s visit that same day to the Bhit Shah shrine demonstrated, he and the US have great respect for all religious faiths, including Islam”, the statement said. The statement also provided a link to Ambassador Munter’s conversation with students at the University of Sindh. The US encourages bonafide tourists, businessmen/women, and students to apply for the appropriate visa, the statement added.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2011.