Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani on Saturday took notice of the delay in issuance of visa to (Senate’s) Deputy Chairman Abdul Ghafoor Hyderi.
Due to the delay in the visa issuance by the US Embassy, Hyderi is being denied the opportunity to participate in a UN-sponsored event in New York, a Senate statement said. “He (Hyderi) was scheduled to travel to the US as part of a delegation,” it said.
The delegation that included Senator Salahuddin Tirmizi, a retired lieutenant general of the Pakistan Army, was to attend the Inter Parliamentary hearings at the UN headquarters in New York from February 13 to 14. Following the directions of the Senate chairman, the visit has been called off.
Rabbani ordered that no (Senate) delegation would visit the US until an explanation to the delay in issuance of the visa was given by the US government or its embassy in Pakistan. “No American delegation, Congress member or diplomat will be welcomed by the Senate, its standing committees and the senators in their official capacity till this issue is resolved,” he said.