Foreign Office on Thursday dismissed reports of a potential US travel ban on Pakistani nationals as “speculative,” saying Islamabad had received no official indication of such measures.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan addressed the issue during a weekly media briefing after a Reuters report last week suggested that the US, under President Donald Trump, could impose new travel restrictions on Pakistan and Afghanistan following a government review of security and vetting risks.
“As of now, this is all speculative and hence does not warrant a response,” Khan said. “So far, we have not been given any indication of such a ban on the Pakistan nation.”
The statement came amid reports that Pakistani Ambassador to Turkmenistan KK Ahsan Wagan was denied entry into the US this week. The Foreign Office clarified that Wagan was traveling for personal reasons and was not eligible for diplomatic immunity. Officials were investigating the incident.
Shafqat Ali Khan added that Pakistan’s foreign ministry and its mission in Washington were in regular contact with US authorities to gather further details.
On January 20, President Trump issued an executive order mandating stricter security vetting for foreigners seeking entry into the US.
The order required US cabinet officials to submit a list by March 12 of countries deemed to have inadequate screening measures, which could lead to partial or full travel suspensions.
The Reuters report also noted that the potential restrictions could impact tens of thousands of Afghans who had been approved for resettlement in the US, including those on Special Immigrant Visas who face risks of Taliban retribution due to their work for the US during the two-decade-long war in Afghanistan.
