‘Pak High Commissioner invited MP in 2015': Assam CM amid claims of Gaurav Gogoi's wife having ISI link

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched an offensive against Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi

After claiming that the wife of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has links with Pakistan and its intelligence agency ISI, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday claimed that the then Pakistani High Commissioner to India invited a first-term Member of Parliament and his startup, Policy for Youth, to discuss India-Pakistan relations at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi in 2015.

"Notably, this MP was not a member of the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs at the time, raising questions about the intent behind his engagement. This visit occurred despite India’s official protest against the Pakistani High Commission’s interference in internal matters, particularly its involvement with the Hurriyat Conference. Ignoring these concerns, the MP took 50 to 60 young Indians to meet Pakistani officials," said Sarma in a post on X.

The Assam CM alleged that soon after the visit, the MP's startup published an article in The Hindu criticising the Border Security Force’s handling of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. "A closer examination of his parliamentary questions revealed a growing focus on sensitive defense matters, including inquiries about Coast Guard radar installations, India’s arms factories, aeronautical defense, transit routes for trade with Iran, Kashmiri students, and alleged attacks on churches—marking a noticeable shift in his areas of interest," said the Assam CM.

In 2015, the Pakistani High Commissioner to India, Mr. Abdul Basit, invited a first-term Member of Parliament (MP) and his startup, Policy for Youth, to discuss India-Pakistan relations at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. Notably, this MP was not a member of the

Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) February 13, 2025

Sarma claimed that these developments occurred immediately after the MP's marriage to a British citizen with a professional background that raised further questions.

"Before their marriage, she had worked for an American senator known for close ties with the Pakistani establishment and later spent time in Pakistan, employed by an organization widely believed to be a front for the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The timing of these events adds another layer of intrigue to the MP’s evolving political stance and actions," said Sarma.

On Wednesday, BJP Spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged  that Elizabeth Colebourn, the wife of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi Gogoi, had ties with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) while she worked with the Climate and Knowledge Development Network (CDKN) in Islamabad under Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, a former advisor to the Planning Commission of Pakistan.  Colebourn allegedly continues to hold British citizenship, according to NDTV.

Without giving details or naming Gogoi, Sarma also questioned if foreign powers - linked to US billionaire George Soros' "ecosystem" - had influenced a major decision of Assam Congress in 2014.

Gogoi hit back stating that if his wife is accused of being an ISI agent, he could equally be labelled a R&AW agent. "If my wife is an ISI agent of Pakistan, then I am a R&AW agent of India. I don't mind if a family against whom there are various cases and several allegations makes accusations against me. The Assam Chief Minister is making these allegations only to divert attention from the allegations against him," he told ANI.