Peshawar Court rejects bail for US man

PESHAWAR: Peshawar court on Monday rejected the bail application of an American said to have been working for a private security company who is accused of overstaying his visa.

"The bail application of Aaron Mark DeHaven has been rejected because he had no legal documents," public prosecutor Javed Ali told AFP.

DeHaven was taken into custody on Friday from the Falcon Complex, a residential area in Peshawar, close to the tribal belt near the Afghan border.

Police say his Pakistani visa had expired in October, and that he was working for security contractor Catalyst Services, providing security and accommodation to foreigners working on development projects in the region.

On Saturday a court remanded DeHaven in custody for 14 days and on Monday, a magistrate rejected defence lawyer Sardar Raza's argument that he should be freed on bail because he had no prior criminal record.

The US embassy in Islamabad said Saturday that consular representatives had met DeHaven, "as they would with any private American citizen".

"We appreciate the cooperation of the Pakistani authorities and respect the Pakistani legal process," an embassy statement said.