Pak officially declares ex-NYT bureau chief persona non grata

The New York Times Pakistan bureau chief has officially been placed in category A of the Black List (BL), with the government declaring him persona non grata.

Declan Walsh has been blacklisted on the recommendation of the interior ministry and will no longer be able to avail visa facilities without the prior approval of the immigration and passports authority.

The revelation comes by the letter issued by Shahid Riaz, assistant director (BL Cell) at the directorate general for immigration and passports.

According to the Express Tribune, meanwhile, in a letter addressed to Information and Broadcasting Minister Pervez Rasheed, Walsh has requested the minister for his assistance in reinstating the visa.

Walsh said in his letter that the NYT has been unable to ascertain the reasons for the visa cancellation, other than the 'undesirable activities' that were cited in the interior ministry letter.

He added that he has been based in Pakistan since 2004 and hoped that his record speaks for itself.

Unravelling the mystery

According to a report prepared by an intelligence agency, Walsh was expelled due to false journalism against Pakistan and violating his terms of stay by visiting prohibited areas without a no objection certificate (NOC), the report said.

The report said Walsh has, overtime, produced inaccurate and defamatory stories about Pakistan with one creating the impression that the country's nuclear weapons storage areas were being attacked, it added.