US confirms Pakistani citizen arrested in its embassy in Chile

US State Department confirmed on Tuesday that a

Pakistani citizen was arrested in its embassy in Chile after detecting traces

of explosives on him. Assistant secretary of state for public diplomacy Philip Crowley told

reporters that Muhammad Saif-ur-Rehman Khan came to the US embassy in Santiago

yesterday afternoon for a consular issue and during a routine visitor

screening, evidence of explosives was detected. He was subsequently arrested

by local authorities. “I think we will cooperate fully in the investigation by Chilean officials.

Obviously it demonstrates that our security in and around our embassies works

very effectively,” he added. Crowley said that US officials had information on this individual. “We had

invited him to come to the embassy to clarify the information that we have on

this individual. And as he came into the embassy, our explosive detectors went

off.”

“I am not aware there was any connection with the Times Square situation.

Let us not get ahead of the investigation,” he concluded