On Thursday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office officially dismissed rumors of a potential US travel ban targeting Pakistani nationals as speculative, affirming that no official intimation of such a measure has been communicated to Islamabad.
During a weekly media briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan addressed concerns sparked by a recent Reuters report. The report had speculated that the US, under President Donald Trump, was considering imposing new travel restrictions on both Pakistan and Afghanistan following a review of security and vetting procedures.
“As of now, this is all speculative and hence does not warrant a response,” stated Khan. “So far, we have not received any indication of such a ban on the Pakistani nation.”
PAKPAC's statement on potential US travel ban for Pakistan pic.twitter.com/u0tTYnBKWS
— PakistaniAmericanPAC (@PAKPAC) March 8, 2025The clarification comes amid incidents such as earlier this week’s denial of entry to the US for Pakistani Ambassador to Turkmenistan KK Ahsan Wagan. The Foreign Office explained that Ambassador Wagan was traveling for personal reasons and did not qualify for diplomatic immunity then. The matter is currently under investigation.
Read: Trump’s New Travel Ban May Block Afghanistan and Pakistan Next Week
Adding further detail, Khan noted that Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its mission in Washington maintain regular communications with US authorities to ascertain more information.
US President Donald Trump could impose a new travel ban on people from Afghanistan and Pakistan from entering the US, affecting tens of thousands of Afghans who have been cleared for resettlement as refugees or on Special Immigrant Visas. Read here: https://t.co/j8qVc5qRMo pic.twitter.com/sKwx3vbuAO
— Reuters Asia (@ReutersAsia) March 6, 2025This discussion follows an executive order issued by President Trump on January 20, which mandates stricter security vetting for foreigners entering the US. The order also called for a report by March 12, identifying countries with insufficient screening measures that could potentially face partial or complete travel restrictions.
The Reuters report also highlighted potential repercussions for tens of thousands of Afghans approved for resettlement in the US, including those on Special Immigrant Visas who have aided the US during the Afghan conflict and may face Taliban threats. These considerations underscore the broader implications of the speculated travel restrictions.
