Pakistan has strongly rejected Indian media reports alleging that the country has removed the clause from its passport restricting travel to Israel. In a statement issued on Friday, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting termed the reports “completely baseless and laughable,” stressing that no such proposal has ever been discussed or considered by the government. The response came after Indian channel Republic TV claimed that Pakistan had deleted the phrase from its passport declaring it “not valid for travel to Israel.” The channel further alleged that Pakistan was preparing to deploy 20,000 troops to Gaza under the supervision of Western countries and Israel a claim Islamabad has already denied. The ministry reiterated that reports of any troop deployment were entirely false, clarifying that no discussions or agreements had taken place with the CIA, Israel, or any other foreign government regarding such a move. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed that the Pakistani passport remains unchanged, with the long-standing clause still printed clearly: “This passport is valid for all countries of the world except Israel.” The Directorate General of Immigration and Passports reaffirmed that the passport design and its text have not been altered in any way. While condemning what it called “false and irresponsible reporting” by sections of the Indian media, the information ministry emphasized that Pakistan’s stance on Israel remains firm and unequivocal. “Pakistan has never recognised Israel, and there is absolutely no question of any form of military cooperation,” the statement concluded. “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.
Pakistan dismisses Indian media reports on removal of Israel travel restriction
