PESHAWAR: A US consulate vehicle was stopped by security personnel at a checkpost in Peshawar near Khalid bin Walid Park on Monday, reported a private TV channel.Four US nationals were travelling from Islamabad in a bullet-proof Land Cruiser when they were stopped because they were carrying expired No Objection Certificates (NoC). The validation date of their NoC was from August 14 to August 20.
The vehicle was also carrying two registration number plates.The foreigners did not show their passports to authorities, and claimed that they did not need to carry NoCs as they are workers at the US Embassy.The vehicle was stopped as all foreigners travelling from Islamabad are bound to report to the Interior and the Foreign Minister before they leave the capital.
Meanwhile, the US Embassy on Monday denied its officials entered Peshawar forcefully. Reportedly, two US officials entered Peshawar without an NOC after breaking a police blockage on the Motorway, violating the state law the other day.However, the US Embassy said the report of its officials’ escape from a checkpoint was “baseless”. It said the officials were travelling to Peshawar from Islamabad for official business with an approved NOC for the visit. “They (the officials) were not stopped at the checkpoint and there was no altercation between US and Pakistani police officials,” the embassy said, adding that all employees of the US missions follow the Pakistani law. – Nation
