Guwahati, Feb 9: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 9 raised concerns over Congress deputy leader and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi’s movements during his visit to Pakistan, alleging discrepancies between the locations permitted under his visa and the places he reportedly travelled to.
Addressing the issue, Sarma referred to Gogoi’s statement at a press conference that he had visited Taxila during his Pakistan trip. The Chief Minister pointed out that the ancient archaeological site is located in Rawalpindi district of Punjab province, and not in Islamabad. According to Sarma, Gogoi’s Pakistani visa authorised travel only to Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad.
“If his 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?” Sarma wrote on social media.
The Chief Minister noted that Pakistan’s immigration regulations prohibit travel beyond visa-designated cities without additional clearance. He further underlined the strategic importance of Rawalpindi, which houses the Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters (GHQ), describing it as a high-security and restricted area.
Sarma suggested that the circumstances point to institutional facilitation rather than routine civilian travel. “It is now almost evident that access to Rawalpindi (army headquarters) could not have occurred through routine civilian travel permissions,” he said.
Listing the basis of his concerns, Sarma cited the absence of Rawalpindi from the visa documentation, Pakistan’s strict city-specific travel rules, and the sensitive nature of the district.
Stating that the matter raises serious questions, the Assam Chief Minister said the facts “warrant a clear and transparent explanation” from the Congress leader.
