Passport Potash Adds Former United States Congressman to the Board of Directors

Passport Potash Inc. (TSX VENTURE:PPI)(PINKSHEETS:PPRTF) ("Passport" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that former U. S. Congressman Matthew Salmon has been appointed to the Company's Board of Directors, effective February 1, 2012.

Mr. Salmon began his career in public service as an Arizona State Senator, a position in which he served from 1991 to 1995. While in the Senate, he served as the Assistant Majority Leader and chaired the Rules Committee.

From 1995 to 2001 Mr. Salmon represented Arizona in the United States House of Representatives, where he served on the International Relations, Education, Small Business, and Science Committees. He also served for six years on the Helsinki Commission and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) where he developed myriad and key relationships with parliamentary members from OSCE. He was an active and influential member of both those organizations. In 2000 Mr. Salmon did not stand for reelection, honoring a pledge made in his first Congressional campaign to serve only three terms.

While in Congress, he led several U.S. Congressional delegations to China to improve trade relations and bilateral relationships. He was the only Member of the U.S. Congress in America's history who speaks Mandarin Chinese. This expertise served him well as one of the leading advocates of a positive U.S. and China relationship. During this period Mr. Salmon was instrumental in obtaining the release of a U. S. based academic researcher SongYongyi who had been detained in China on charges of spying.

Congressman Salmon has over twenty years of experience in both the public and private sector. During his career he has emphasized managing relations at all levels of government and in the process has garnered significant media relations experience. Mr. Salmon formed Upstream Consulting, Inc. ("Upstream"), a political consulting firm with offices in Washington, DC and Phoenix. Arizona. Upstream focuses on the development of intelligent, strategic and highly effective messaging strategies for their clients. Since June 2011 Upstream has served as a consultant for the Company.

Passport's President and CEO Joshua Bleak commented, "We are extremely pleased to have Mr. Salmon join Passport's Board. We are confident that Mr. Salmon's knowledge and experience will be an invaluable resource to our Board of Directors."

Mr. Salmon commented, "I am honored to join Passport, and am excited to help push forward a project with such economic potential for Arizona."

Passport would also like to announce that Laara Shaffer has resigned from the Board of Directors and would like to thank her for her service in that capacity. Ms. Shaffer will continue as CFO and Secretary for the Company.

About Passport Potash Inc.

Passport Potash Inc. is a publicly traded corporation engaged in the exploration and development of advanced potash properties with its major focus on a previously explored potash property in Arizona. Passport has acquired a strategic position in the Holbrook Basin with land holdings encompassing over 81,315 acres. For more information on our company, please visit www.passportpotash.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Passport Potash Inc.

Joshua Bleak, President

Forward-Looking Statement

This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to: statements with respect to the effect and estimated timeline of the drilling and assay results on the Company; the estimation of mineral reserves and mineral resources; the timing and amount of estimated future exploration; costs of exploration; capital expenditures; success of exploration activities; permitting time lines and permitting; government regulation of mining operations; potential future expansion of the PFNP; environmental risks; unanticipated reclamation expenses; and title disputes or claims. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, including the likelihood of commercial mining and possible future financings are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include: unsuccessful exploration results; changes in metals prices; changes in the availability of funding for mineral exploration; unanticipated changes in key management personnel and general economic conditions. Mining is an inherently risky business. Accordingly the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company and the risks and challenges of its business, investors should review the Company's annual filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Source: Marketwire Canada (January 31, 2012 - 8:30 AM EST)