WASHINGTON – The State Department has issued an important clarification regarding the travel ban on different countries including Pakistan.
Tammy Bruce, Spokesperson for the United States Department of State said on Monday that no official decision has been made regarding imposing a potential travel ban on over 40 nations in the world.
“First of all, there is no list,” confirmed Bruce in a press briefing and added that what’s being looked at over the last couple of days is not the list that exists, but there is an ongoing review.
But what has being touted as something as an item through the State Department just simply isn’t the case, the spokesperson said.
It bears mentioning that a category-wise list also went viral on social media a few days ago, highlighting countries which could face travel ban by the Trump administration.
As per media reports, the first group comprises ten countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea, which were reportedly set for a full visa suspension.
Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar and South Sudan were in the second group that could face partial suspensions as per the list which is not official.
The third group comprises 26 countries, including Pakistan and Belarus, which are being considered for a partial suspension of US visa issuance if their governments do not address the deficiencies within 60 days.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has also said that the government would take up the issue of potential travel ban with the Trump administration but the clarification by the US official is a welcome development that no immediate visa ban is being imposed.
The Donald Trump’s entry to Oval Office in January has practically shaken up the entire world. The latest policies being enforced are affecting people from across the world, be it imposition of tariffs on Canada or suspending USAID programs.
Although no official ban is in place, Trump’s history endorses that a ban could be imposed in weeks to come as the tycoon-turned-president had imposed travel ban in his earlier stint as president. Nonetheless, mass deportations are being carried out at an unprecedented scale at present.
