Pakistan’s Foreign Office has categorically rejected rumors of U.S. visa restrictions, labeling them as unfounded speculation.
During a weekly press briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan clarified that reports of a U.S. travel ban were baseless. “The U.S. State Department and our Foreign Office have already dismissed these claims as mere speculation,” he stated.
Similarly, the U.S. State Department denied reports on Wednesday suggesting that Washington was drafting a list to impose visa restrictions on multiple countries, including Pakistan.
The rumors stemmed from an alleged draft list that surfaced earlier, reportedly identifying 41 countries—among them Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran—categorized into three groups with varying levels of travel restrictions. According to a memo cited by Reuters, the proposed measures included a complete visa suspension for certain nations such as Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba, and North Korea.
Meanwhile, Pakistan and the U.S. engaged in discussions on consular matters on Wednesday. The Foreign Office confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar chaired a meeting to review bilateral cooperation on consular affairs. The session was attended by U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker, along with senior officials from Pakistan’s foreign and interior ministries.
