ISLAMABAD: A British-American author and journalist, who had been trying to secure a meeting with incarcerated former PM Imran Khan, was told by law enforcement agencies on Wednesday that his visa had been cancelled and he had five hours to leave the country.
Charles Glass, 73, is an author, journalist, broadcaster, and publisher who specialises in the Middle East and World War II. He has served prominent media organisations such as Newsweek, ABC TV, and The Telegraph, among others, and currently works as a freelance journalist.
Sources said that Mr Glass, who was recently spotted outside Adiala jail alongside Mr Khan’s sister Aleema, was at the residence of Islamabad-based senior journalist Zahid Hussain when they were visited by a large police contingent.
Around noon on Wednesday, a team led by an assistant superintendent of police (ASP) arrived, initially saying they wanted to meet the foreign journalist. They then informed Mr Glass that his visa had been cancelled, and after arguing for nearly an hour, the ASP reportedly told the journalist he had to leave the country by 5pm.
“Mr Glass wondered how he would secure a flight and said his luggage is still at [his lodgings]. The ASP offered to accompany him to the hotel to collect his luggage and informed him that there was a flight to Abu Dhabi available at 4pm, which he should take to leave the country. The ASP said he had a clear order to deport the journalist,” sources said.
Sources said that Mr Glass was initially taken to his lodgings to collect his luggage, and then deported to the Middle East.
Shahzad Akbar, a former aide of ex-PM Imran Khan, also mentioned this on social media. “There are reports of the deportation of British journalist Charles Glass who was visiting Pakistan to see @ImranKhanPTI at Adiala prison,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Sources said that Mr Glass had been trying to secure an interview with the incarcerated PTI founder, and it was possible that his tourist visa was cancelled because of this.
However, Kohsar SHO Shafqat Faiz denied any such activity within their jurisdiction.
Dawn reached out to IGP Ali Nasir Rizvi for comment on the issue, but he did not respond.
Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2024
