Pakistan's Senate has announced that it will not welcome U.S. diplomats or members of Congress in Islamabad.
The move comes after the U.S. failed to issue a visa to the senate's deputy chairman, a member of the right-wing Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam political party to attend a UN-sponsored event in New York on February 13-14.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is known for his pro-Taliban and anti-U.S. stances.
Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani said in a statement that no Pakistani senate delegation will visit the United States until an explanation for the delay in issuing a visa to Maulana Ghafoor Haideri is given by U.S. authorities.
A U.S. embassy spokesman in Islamabad said on February 12 that they could not comment on visa cases due to privacy laws.