Published 23:03 IST, November 11th 2019
Islamabad Airport: Elderly American woman protests by lying on floor
Elderly American woman protests by lying on the floor of Islamabad airport as she was being deported after being blacklisted by Pakistani authorities.
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When the Islamabad Airport officials tried to deport an elderly American woman, she protested against them by lying on the floor on November 10. As per reports, the woman is aged about 70 years and is who was born in Washington. Officials later identified her as Murray Maude who arrived at Islamabad International Airport in Pakistan on a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight from Manchester. She was being deported as she was blacklisted by the authorities in Pakistan.
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She reportedly started screaming and lay on the floor of the airport in protest. Photos in social media also showed her on a wheelchair.
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Reason of deportation not revealed
Authorities have not revealed why she was blacklisted and barred from entry into Pakistan. Soon after the woman created a scene at the airport, the US Embassy in Islamabad was contacted and called at the airport to resolve the issue. Responding to the viral tweets a Twitter user said, "Don't know the reasons for her black-listing but if she is not involved in any law & order or intelligence issues, then she must be allowed entry and live in Pakistan on human grounds as just violation of immigration laws should not cause any human crises. Humanity comes first". At the same time, another twitter user found it funny. “Look, foreigners have started coming to Pakistan .....” he said.
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Other American Women deported from Islamabad Airport
Earlier in January, another American woman, Sonia Sita Perez was deported after she arrived in the capital without a visa. The Federal Investigation Agency said that Perez reached the airport via a Qatar Airlines flight. She did not have a Pakistani visa though and was deported to America on the same flight. Likewise in 2016, an American woman was deported back to her country after she landed in Islamabad without a Pakistani visa.
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(With inputs from agencies)
18:40 IST, November 11th 2019