'Who Facilitated His Rawalpindi Visit?': Himanta Backs Explosive Claims Against Gogoi and Wife Over Pakistan Links

New Delhi: The political storm in Assam escalated further on Monday after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma doubled down on his allegations linking Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and his British wife to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) following Gogoi’s press conference accusing him of making baseless allegations.

In a post on X, Sarma raised pointed questions about Gogoi’s reported travel to Takshashila in Pakistan, citing what he described as strict immigration restrictions under Pakistan’s visa regime. 

Further, referring to Gogoi’s press conference earlier in the day, Sarma said a key detail had emerged. He pointed out that Takshashila, also known as Taxila, does not fall within Islamabad.

“In today’s press conference, Gaurav Gogoi made a disclosure that even I was not previously aware of, Takshashila (Taxila) is not located in Islamabad but in Rawalpindi District, Punjab. This single fact raises a serious and unavoidable question,” Sarma wrote.

Sarma claimed that if Gogoi’s visa permitted travel only to Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, visiting Takshashila would require special authorisation.

“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?” he added. 

‘Who facilitated the visit?’ asks CM

Pushing the allegation further, the Assam Chief Minister questioned who enabled Gogoi’s movement to the sensitive district.

“So the question is simple, factual, and legitimate. Who facilitated his movement to Takshashila despite the apparent absence of visa clearance for Rawalpindi District?” he said. 

Sarma said the issue assumes greater significance because Rawalpindi houses the headquarters of the Pakistan Army.

“This question gains further significance given that the Pakistan Army’s General Headquarters (GHQ), the nerve centre of the Pakistani military, is also located in Rawalpindi,” CM confirmed. 

Sarma went on to suggest that access to Rawalpindi could not have occurred through routine civilian travel permissions.

He listed three reasons to support his claim.

“This inference flows directly from the absence of Rawalpindi on the visa, the strict city-specific travel rules under Pakistan’s visa regime, and the fact that Rawalpindi is a restricted, high-security district,” he added. 

Concluding his post, Sarma said the circumstances demanded clarity. “These facts warrant a clear and transparent explanation.”

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