KHYBER: The immigration staff at Torkham border turned back two tourists hailing from Russia and Kazakhstan on Saturday amid social media allegations about Khyber police misbehaviour with them.

Immigration officials told Dawn that 31-year-old Lizunov Viacheslav from the Russian Federation and his female companion Grishkova Violetta, 29, who were desirable to cross over to Afghanistan, were stopped from crossing the border as the visa duration of both had expired.

They said that Grishkova Violetta had overstayed for only one day while Lizunov Viacheslav had overstayed illegally in Pakistan for 17 days.

“We can grant permission for a ‘leave’ to a foreigner, who has his or her visa expired for less than two weeks. We allowed Grishkova Violetta to cross over to Afghanistan but she was not willing to leave her partner alone and thus they both went back,” they said.

Police reject social media reports about misbehaviour with foreigners

Meanwhile, social media users in Jamrud took the local police to task for their alleged misbehaviour with the foreign tourists in Jamrud prior to their departure for Torkham on Saturday.

They alleged that police used foul language while conversing with the tourists in Jamrud bazaar where the two foreigners briefly stayed to stitch their shoes while a crowd of locals gathered around them.

In a strong-worded response to social media accusations, a statement issued from the office of DPO Salim Abbas Kulachi said that police instead helped and assisted the two foreigners to proceed to Torkham after they were spotted in Jamrud while providing them full security and also arranging a taxi for them.

“The couple was travelling i a private taxi and when they disembarked from the vehicle in Jamrud bazaar, a group of locals gathered around them. Police on duty immediately approached them for any help,” it said.

The statement said that the tourists were not well-versed in English and had difficulty in explaining their point of view to local police. “Both got infuriated when police asked for checking their travel documents. They used some indecent words against police,” a police official in Jamrud requesting anonymity told Dawn. He added that even then police arranged another taxi to take them to Torkham.

The DPO in his statement insisted that any negative propaganda against his force regarding treatment of the two foreigners was totally baseless and without any substance. He said that the tourists stayed in Peshawar after they were sent back by immigration staff at Torkham on Saturday.

The officials of Federal Investigation Agency said that they could not detain such foreign passengers and instead they were directed to get their travel documents prior to their departure to their next destination. “It is then up to the foreigners to where they go and from where they stamp a fresh visa or an extension in their stay,” they added.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2023