An immigration officer at Lahore's international airport told Steven Butler that his journalist visa was valid, but it was voided because his name was "on a stop list of the Interior Ministry," the CPJ statement quoted Butler as saying. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior Ministry did not respond to Reuters calls seeking comment. Pakistan's press has had a turbulent relationship with successive governments and the powerful military over many years. Airport authorities at Allama Iqbal International Airport confiscated Steven Butler's passport and put him on a flight to Doha, Qatar, The CPJ said. "Pakistani authorities should give a full explanation of their decision to bar Butler from entering and correct this error," the statement added.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 18, 2019 09:45 UTC