Assam CM Seeks Answers on Gogoi’s Pakistan Visit Beyond Visa Limits

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday raised fresh questions over Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi’s visit to Pakistan, focusing specifically on his travel to Takshashila, which the CM said falls outside the areas permitted under a standard Pakistani visa.

In a post on X, Sarma said Gogoi had made a disclosure during his press conference that prompted a new line of questioning. The Chief Minister pointed out that Takshashila, also known as Taxila, is located in Rawalpindi district of Punjab province and not within the Islamabad Capital Territory.

“In today’s press conference, Gaurav Gogoi made a disclosure that even I was not previously aware of. Takshashila (Taxila) is not located in Islamabad, but in Rawalpindi District, Punjab,” Sarma said.

The Chief Minister also questioned how Gogoi could have travelled to the area if his Pakistani visa permitted movement only to cities such as Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad.

Citing Pakistan’s immigration norms, Sarma said travel beyond visa-designated cities is not allowed without special authorisation.

“This single fact raises a serious and unavoidable question. 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 added.

He further underlined the significance of Rawalpindi’s strategic importance, noting that it houses the Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters.

“So the question is simple, factual and legitimate: who facilitated his movement to Takshashila despite the apparent absence of visa clearance for Rawalpindi District?” the Chief Minister asked, adding that the issue assumes greater importance given the presence of the Pakistani military’s nerve centre in the same district.

The remarks are the latest in an ongoing political exchange between the ruling BJP and the Congress in Assam, with Gogoi earlier dismissing allegations against him as baseless and politically motivated.

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