A tourist couple visiting Pakistan recently claimed that they were harassed by the police in the Jamrud area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. However, the authorities have denied these allegations, dismissing them as “fake propaganda”.
According to the Russian tourist, the police demanded to see their documents, which were presented to them. Despite this, the police allegedly shouted at them in public and prevented them from proceeding. The tourist further stated that, while some policemen were cordial, one particular officer behaved very poorly and even took a photo of his wife in tears, which he then posted on Facebook. The police also allegedly shared their personal information, including passport and visa details. Fortunately, a local resident came to their aid, taking them to his home to ensure their safety.
The couple, who have visited almost 80 countries, stated that they love traveling to experience different cultures and meet people from diverse backgrounds.
In response, the Peshawar police issued a statement refuting the allegations and asserting that there was no truth to them. After conducting a thorough investigation, the police concluded that there was no misconduct on their part. They insisted that the tourists were treated as guests, provided with full security, and escorted to Torkham and later to Peshawar.
According to the police statement, the foreign couple had attempted to travel to Afghanistan without informing the authorities. They hired a local taxi and were dropped off at Jamrud Bazaar/Bab-i-Khyber, where a crowd surrounded them. The police arrived at the scene and requested their documents. However, due to the couple’s weak English language skills, communication proved challenging. The police dispersed the crowd without harassing the couple, although they were understandably shaken by the incident.
The police statement revealed that the couple left in a taxi and were accompanied by a police contingent for their protection. When they reached Torkham, immigration officials refused to allow them to travel to Afghanistan because their documents were incomplete and their visas had expired. The couple was then escorted to the Karkhano checkpost from Torkham under police security before being handed over to the Peshawar police.
The statement emphasized that the police regularly provide security to foreign tourists and urged the public to refrain from spreading false propaganda against them.