- Info ministry says Indian claims “completely baseless, laughable”.
- MoFA clarifies Pakistani passport has not been changed in any way.
- Passport authority says clause of invalidity for Israel still in place.
Pakistan has rebuffed Indian media propaganda claiming the country has removed the clause from its passport that restricts travel to Israel.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting dismissed the report of changes in the passport clause as “completely baseless and laughable,” saying no such move has been discussed or considered by the government.
Indian news channel Republic TV had alleged that Pakistan had removed the clause from its passport declaring it “not valid for travel to Israel”. The channel also claimed Pakistan was preparing to send 20,000 troops to Gaza under the supervision of Western countries and Israel, an allegation already denied by Islamabad.
The ministry had called the reports of deployment of 20,000 troops to Gaza completely false, saying that no discussions or deals took place with the CIA or Israel.
Neither the Foreign Office nor military authorised or announced any mission to Gaza.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also clarified that the Pakistani passport has not been changed in any way. The long-standing clause remains printed clearly. Meanwhile, the directorate general of Immigration and Passports confirmed that the passport still reads:
“This passport is valid for all countries of the world except Israel.”
The information ministry, while exposing the false reporting by the Indian media, said that Pakistan’s position on Israel has always been crystal clear.
“Pakistan has never recognised Israel, and there is absolutely no question of military cooperation,” the statement continued. “Our support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination is firm and principled, it has never wavered,” the ministry added.
The info ministry also noted that Republic TV’s story was not picked up by any credible regional or international media outlet, which it said proves how “fabricated and unserious” the claim was.
Calling out what it described as a “habit of spreading lies”, the ministry said: “Unfortunately, this kind of toxic propaganda has become routine for Indian godi media.”
“Pakistan will not be distracted by such tactics,” the statement concluded. “We will continue to speak the truth and stand by justice, peace, and the rights of the Palestinian people.”
It may be noted that the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports announced earlier this month that the Pakistani passport is being revamped with the modern security features to curb forgery and misuse.
It said that new Pakistani passports will include the mother’s name and feature visa pages with images of national landmarks, reflecting cultural diversity.
Changes follow principles of “modernity and harmonisation,” with no other alterations to the format. Printing of the upgraded passports has begun after Ministry of Interior’s approval.
