Himanta Biswa Sarma questions Gaurav Gogoi's Taxila visit on Lahore-Karachi-Islamabad visa

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has raised concerns over Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi's movements during a visit to Pakistan, pointing to discrepancies between his visa permissions and actual travel locations.

During a press conference on February 9, Gogoi revealed he had visited Taxila, prompting Sarma to highlight what he describes as a significant oversight. The ancient archaeological site is situated in Rawalpindi District, Punjab, not in Islamabad as commonly assumed.

According to Sarma, Gogoi's Pakistani visa specifically 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.

Pakistan's immigration regulations prohibit travel beyond visa-designated cities without additional clearance. Sarma emphasised that Rawalpindi holds particular strategic importance as it houses the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters (GHQ), described as "the nerve centre of the Pakistani military".

The chief minister suggested the circumstances indicate institutional facilitation rather than standard civilian travel. "It is now almost evident that access to Rawalpindi (army headquarters) could not have occurred through routine civilian travel permissions," he stated.

Sarma cited three key factors supporting his concerns: the absence of Rawalpindi from the visa documentation, Pakistan's strict city-specific travel requirements, and Rawalpindi's status as a restricted, high-security district.

The Assam chief minister has called for transparency, stating these facts "warrant a clear and transparent explanation" from the Congress leader.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, "It is a place for tourism, and as an Indian, I felt proud when I saw Taxila and saw how ancient Mohenjo-Daro civilisation is. Taxila is where Chanakya was. The mighty Indian empires were also there. Therefore, as a proud Indian, I went to Taxila. I did not go and write praises of Muhammad Ali Jinnah like some BJP leaders. The next course of action is to continue taking the CM's corruption to the people of Assam. He is trying to distract the attention of the people of Assam. We will fight for our borders to be 100 per cent fenced. Close to 4000 acres of land, of which CM and his family members are owners, we will take that land and distribute it among those needy."