'First time visitor': FO denies claims Shehryar Afridi failed to clear US immigration

Spokesperson says PTI leader had secondary screening at New York's JFK airport, was cleared without any guarantees

Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmed has refuted reports that Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Shehryar Afridi was stopped from entering the United States after he failed to satisfy immigration officials at New York’s JFK airport.

The spokesperson in a statement issued on Sunday said Afridi arrived in New York via flight QR-0701 at 3.15pm on September 15, 2021 to raise awareness on war crimes in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

“As noted by the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, as a first time visitor, Mr Afridi had secondary screening briefly and was cleared in routine without any guarantees being sought or given by anyone from the Embassy or the Consulate,” read the statement.

The clarification comes after various media reports claimed that the US officials grilled Afridi for about an hour and allo­wed him entry into the country only after the Pakistani consulate in New York confirmed his credentials.

“Some social media posts and news reports in this regard are contrary to the facts,” read the FO communiqué.

Also read: Afridi calls for impartial research on IIOJK

Afridi, from his official Twitter handle, also issued a clarification saying he landed in New York to sensitise international community on Indian war crimes “but was taken aback by malicious propaganda by evil forces and pro-India stooges”.

Landed in #NewYork to sensitize intern'l audience on unabated genocide, war crimes by Indian occupational forces in Jammu & Kashmir but was taken a back by malicious propaganda by evil forces & pro-India stooges. @ImranKhanPTI has taught us fight on all fronts. Will fight back IA

— Shehryar Afridi (@ShehryarAfridi1) September 19, 2021

According to state-run APP, the Kashmir committee chairman would address the Overseas Pakistani’s annual convention and would also meet with the members of the US Congress, think tanks, and human rights non-governmental organisations on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and would sensitise them over the Kashmir dispute.

He would also raise the Indian vicious plan of demographic changes and targeting of Kashmiri journalists in IIOJK by the Hindutva regime.