Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday raised fresh questions over Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi’s past travel to Pakistan, citing what he described as a “serious and factual discrepancy” related to visa restrictions and movement beyond permitted areas.
Referring to statements made by Gogoi during a press conference earlier in the day, CM Sarma said that a key disclosure had brought new clarity to the issue.
According to the Chief Minister, Gogoi acknowledged that Takshashila (Taxila), a historic archaeological site he visited during his Pakistan trip, is not located within Islamabad but falls under Rawalpindi District in Punjab province. “This single fact raises a serious and unavoidable question,” CM Sarma said in a post on social media platform X. “If the Pakistan visa explicitly permitted travel only to Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, how did he visit Takshashila, which lies outside the Islamabad Capital Territory and squarely within Rawalpindi District?”
CM Sarma pointed out that under Pakistan’s immigration rules, foreign visitors are generally not allowed to travel beyond visa-designated cities without prior or special authorisation from the authorities.
“Travel beyond permitted locations without clearance is not allowed. This makes the question simple, factual and legitimate,” he added.
The Chief Minister questioned who facilitated Gogoi’s movement to Rawalpindi District despite the apparent absence of visa clearance for the area.
He further stated that the issue gains added significance because Rawalpindi houses the Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters (GHQ), described as the nerve centre of the country’s military establishment.
“This is not a political allegation but a matter of documented geography and immigration norms,” CM Sarma said, stressing that clarity was needed in the public domain.
He maintained that the questions raised were based on facts placed on record and disclosures made by Gogoi himself.
Gogoi, a Lok Sabha MP from Jorhat, on Monday dismissed allegations related to his Pakistan visit, asserting that his travel was academic in nature and fully compliant with the law.
However, CM Sarma reiterated that the matter warranted transparent answers, stating that public representatives must be held to the highest standards of accountability when it comes to issues involving national security and foreign travel.
(IANS)
