KARACHI – Tweets and Facebook posts make the assertion that Australia has barred more than 50 top officers of the Pakistani army and intelligence services from travelling into their country.
“Australia has banned the entry of Pakistani honourable generals,” was tweeted on June 5 by a verified Twitter user.
The user also shared a video in which a narrator was heard stating that Australia would not permit the entry of 50 officials, including those from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), as well as former chief of army staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and current chief of army staff General Asim Munir.
The message continues, “The ban has been implemented due to human rights violations in Pakistan.”
Over 71,000 people have seen the video and over 4,000 people have retweeted it so far.
آسٹریلیا نے پاکستانی جرنیلوں کو اپنے ملک مین بین کر دیا pic.twitter.com/EENP3IyLro
— M Tariq Bilal (@MTariqBilal_) June 5, 2023
Another twitter user wrote a similar assertion, while related accusations also gained traction on Facebook. On June 5, a person posted on the platform that “Australia has banned Pakistani generals from its country.”
However, Australian High Commission in Pakistan has clarified that no such travel ban has been issued by Australia on any Pakistani military official.
Australian High Commission told a local media outlet that, “The Australian High Commission is aware of reports on social media regarding visa bans. These reports are false.”
“Australia supports a Pakistan that is peaceful, prosperous, and democratic,” the spokeswoman stated. “Australia regularly raises human rights with the Government of Pakistan.”
