Pakistan has been awaiting “official communication” regarding a possible travel ban from the United States, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Rizwan Saeed Shaikh said.

“We have seen news reports, but nothing received from official channel[s] as yet. Would want to wait for that before commenting,” he told Dawn.

On Thursday, Reuters while citing three sources familiar with the matter, reported that President Donald Trump’s new travel ban could bar people from Afghanistan and Pakistan from entering the US as soon as next week based on a government review of countries’ security and vetting risks.

The three sources, who requested anonymity, said other countries could also be on the list but did not know which ones.

The move harkens back to the Republican president’s first term ban on travelers from seven majority-Muslim nations, a policy that went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.

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Former president Joe Biden repealed a controversial travel ban in 2021, labeling it “a stain on our national conscience.” The decision came after his predecessor implemented an executive order on January 20 that mandated stricter security vetting for foreigners seeking entry into the US, aimed at identifying potential national security risks.

The newly proposed ban raises concerns for tens of thousands of Afghans who have been approved for resettlement in the US as refugees or through Special Immigrant Visas. Such individuals face threats from the Taliban due to their support of US efforts during the two-decade-long conflict in Afghanistan.

Trump’s order also instructed several cabinet members to compile a list by March 12 of countries whose travel should be partially or fully restricted due to inadequate vetting and screening processes.