Rabbani cancels senators' visit to U.S.

Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani has cancelled the planned visit of senators to the U.S. taking serious notice of delay in visa issuance to Deputy Chairman Senate Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.

Rabbani has made it very clear that no Senate delegation will visit the U.S. until an explanation for the delay in visa issuance is given.

A delegation comprising Deputy Chairman Senate and PML-N Senator Lt. Gen. (retd.) Salahuddin Tirmizi was to visit the United States to mark their presence in the Inter-Parliamentary Union proceedings at the UN Headquarters in New York on February 13-14.

The move comes in the backdrop of a U.S. Federal Appeals Court's judgment refusing to reinstate President Donald Trump's ban on travelers from seven Muslim nations.

The News quoted Rabbani as saying, "No delegation, member of Congress or diplomat of the U.S. will be welcomed by the Senate of Pakistan, the Senate standing committees and senators in their official capacity till this issue is resolved."

U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Sharlina Hussain Morgan was quoted by The News as saying, "We don't comment on individual visa cases.