(Daily Point) — In October 2023, Islamabad issued a directive for all undocumented foreigners to voluntarily depart Pakistan by November 1, with a warning of deportation for those remaining beyond the deadline.
Following the expiration of the November 1 deadline, a false online claim began circulating, asserting that the Pakistani government had mandated residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) before entering Punjab. This claim has been debunked, as there is no official policy supporting such a requirement.
The misinformation originated from a social media account on X (formerly Twitter) on November 26, suggesting that Pashtuns and Baloch individuals needed an NOC to enter Punjab. The post included a photo from a Geo Television news bulletin, alleging that the channel reported the same information. However, there is no factual basis for this assertion.
The post gained significant traction, with over 50,000 views and numerous reposts and likes on X. Additionally, on November 25, another X user uploaded two videos claiming that Punjab had introduced a new visa policy for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa residents, including a fee of Rs500. However, officials have confirmed that there is no such policy, and the claims in the videos are baseless.
Multiple X accounts shared identical claims, further amplifying the misinformation. However, authorities, including Rao Atif Raza (Deputy Commissioner in Attock), Muhammad Sikandar Gondal (Deputy Superintendent of Police in Hazro tehsil), and Taimoor Khan (Chief Security Officer in Attock), have refuted these claims, emphasizing that Pakistani citizens have unrestricted travel within the country.
Shakeel Ahmad Mian, the additional chief secretary of the home department in Punjab, denounced the claims as “totally false.” Additionally, accusations against Geo News were addressed by the channel’s spokesperson, who confirmed that the circulating image and banner were fabricated, and no such news was broadcast.
In summary, the alleged policy requiring residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to obtain an NOC for entering Punjab is baseless, and officials have discredited the claims circulating on social media.
