Crossing the border: Afghan-born British citizen held in Jamrud

Official says he was intending to travel to Afghanistan without proper documents.

JAMRUD:

An Afghan-born British citizen was returned from Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency when he was trying to travel without proper documents on Saturday.

Roshan Khan Mehsud, an official of the political administration from Jamrud, said the incident occurred around 11:00am. Mehsud said a man identified as Muhammad Jafar was travelling to Afghanistan via Torkham when khasadar officials at Takhta Baig check post stopped the car and held him for travelling without proper documents.

The official said that Jafar is an Afghan-born British citizen and did not have a no-objection certificate (NOC) which is why he was handed over to Hayatabad police. He added that in recent days, a number of foreign citizens had been held for trying to enter Afghanistan via Torkham without proper documents.

A Ukrainian national was also held by authorities in Jamrud last month for attempting to cross the Torkham border. Ali Sher, an official of the political administration, said the foreigner crossed Peshawar district and entered the agency without a no-objection certificate.

The official said the man was held at Takhta Baig check post and handed over to the Hayatabad police, adding that the name of the foreigner could not be disclosed. “He had all his travelling documents intact, except the NOC,” said Sher.

On May 7, a German national, identified as Martin Stephen, was also held at Takhta Baig check post by the political administration while he was travelling to Afghanistan in a private taxi. He was later handed over to Hayatabad police.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2014.