ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) on Friday responded to United States’ (US) travel restrictions on Pakistani diplomatic staff and their families.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to US Aizaz Chaudhry informed that the travel restrictions that went into effect today require a five days prior permission from the Pakistani diplomats if they travel outside the imposed 25 miles radius.
The FO reacted to the travel restrictions and unveiled a set of changes in government’s policies dealing with US diplomats within Pakistan through notification.
In an official notification, the FO stated that American diplomats will have to take permission prior to their travel, while the luxury of ‘fast-track’ luggage clearance at airports will not be provided.
Moreover, it stated that US diplomats will not be allowed to have more than one passport, with strict adherence to their visa date.
The notification also added to the list, restricting the use of tinted glass on their vehicles, which was previously allowed for security purposes. The list added on, the directive of the FO stating that non-diplomatic license plates concealing diplomatic for their protection status will be withdrawn.
The list of restrictions continued in the notification added that the US diplomat’s mobile phones will be bio-metrically verified. The diplomats will have to get no-objection certificated (NOC) from the government to avail rented houses.
The FO elucidated the fact that these measures were merely a response to the US travel restriction, limiting Pakistani diplomats in America.
Previously, the Trump administration had communicated to the government of Pakistan that its officials in the US would be subjected to some restrictions in their travel if the limitations on US diplomats to Pakistan are not alleviated.
According to Chaudhry, about 250 Pakistani individuals would be affected by the ban.
The travel ban has been the first ever in the history of Pakistani diplomats to US. However, US had practiced such limitation codes for Russian and Chinese officials in the past.