'Deported' woman Afghan MP failed to produce valid documents, say Govt sources

A woman member of the Afghan parliament, who claimed she was deported from New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on August 20, had failed to show any documents of her medical treatment in India nor any reference from the Afghanistan Embassy, government officials said on Thursday.

Rangina Kargar, a member of the Wolesi Jirga (House of the People of Afghanistan), where she represents the Faryab province--had arrived at IGI Airport on August 20. She was not allowed to move outside the airport after she failed to provide visa documents.

According to a senior government official, Kargar had arrived at IGI Airport on a Dubai flight and held a diplomatic passport which facilitates visa-free travel under a reciprocal arrangement with India for 30 days. However, after the turmoil in Afghanistan, all kinds of visas had been cancelled with the exception of e-visas, which are the only ones allowed.

"An immigration officer asked Kargar to provide details of the medical treatment or the hospital she was going to visit or the details of the doctor she was going to consult, but she failed to provide any details to substantiate her purpose of arrival. She couldn't even provide any reference from the Afghanistan Embassy. She was never deported but was not allowed to leave the airport and she went back on the same flight on which she arrived," said the official.

In January 2016 a pact was signed between India and Afghanistan for visa-free travel of their diplomats, which was implemented from June 20, 2016, onwards.

Another officer said that the pact was signed between two democratically elected governments to provide smooth travel to their diplomats, "but the present situation in Afghanistan is not the same that was in 2016 or before Talibam took over the government."

( With inputs from ANI )

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