NEW YORK, Oct 28: The US law enforcement authorities arrested an officer of the Pakistan Consulate in New York on Thursday over his legal resident status in the United States, a Pakistani official said.

Consular Assistant Mohammad Yunus Qureshi was picked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents outside the consulate and taken handcuffed to a detention centre in New Jersey.

The Consulate General was not given any prior notice nor informed of Mr Qureshi’s arrest – an obvious violation of the Vienna Conventions governing diplomatic missions, according to the sources. His family informed the consulate office about the arrest on Friday morning.

Consul General Harmon Shaukat said that he had approached the US authorities about the matter. However, so far he hasn’t got clear answers, the sources added.

Mr Qureshi, who has been serving the consulate for the past 15 years, enjoys a good reputation and has never been in trouble with the law, his stunned colleagues said.