By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: Immigration authorities on Thursday pushed back against mounting complaints of passengers being unfairly barred from international flights, insisting that such actions target only those with invalid documents or suspected links to human smuggling rings.
The statement from a senior Federal Investigation Agency official comes as reports of offloadings at major airports have surged in recent months, fueling public outcry and social media backlash. The crackdown intensified after last year’s deadly boat sinking off Greece, which killed numerous Pakistanis attempting illegal migration to Europe.
In a video released by the agency, Muhammad Ali Zia, a retired army captain and director of the FIA’s Lahore zone, labelled viral accounts of random detentions as “misleading AI-generated videos and false information circulating on social media.” “All these rumours have no connection with reality,” Zia said, dismissing claims that travellers were being stopped “for no reason.”
He conceded, however, that many affected passengers had fallen victim to scams. “A lot of people were those who get deceived by various human smugglers in some way,” Zia said. Outlining the process, Zia explained that officers examine documents and profile all outbound travellers. “No one going abroad for a valid purpose was being stopped,” he said.
Offloadings occur, he added, when paperwork is deficient or fraudulent. “All those who are denied from going abroad are refused due to them not having valid documents, or if they have permits or visas wherein the companies stated do not exist, and we have suspicions that human smugglers are trapping them and taking them abroad,” Zia said.
He described common tactics uncovered in probes, such as route changes during transit or using relatives as shields. “We have seen cases where people get deceived by these human smugglers and change their routes mid-transit, or take an accomplice with them in the form of their mother or sister, through which they can exit here with the [safeguard] of an Umrah [visa],” Zia said, alluding to the religious visa frequently misused.
When such ploys result in deportations from abroad, the agency’s anti-trafficking unit intervenes, filing cases and shutting down operations that have “brought such human traffickers to a halt,” he said.
Zia warned against trusting smugglers, accusing them of inflating the controversy for profit. The networks, he said, were “negatively portraying the matter to ‘create unrest’ and secure financial gains for themselves.”
Citing tragedies like the Mauritania and Greece boat capsizings, Zia said victims are lured with “dreams of Europe” via illegal overland routes known as dunki or through transit nations, often paying huge sums or losing their lives. Beyond personal tolls, these incidents harm Pakistan’s global standing. “Not only does Pakistan’s name on an international level get maligned and the value of our green passport declines, but many countries have also created difficulties for us in obtaining visas,” Zia said.
He promised a smooth passage for legitimate travellers: “Immigration staff would facilitate all those who were travelling abroad for legitimate reasons with valid documents.” An accompanying FIA Facebook post called the online content “fabricated” and aimed at misleading the public while eroding trust in the agency. It advised relying solely on official sources.
The controversy has amplified voices from those impacted. BBC Urdu this week spoke with offloaded passengers, including a 25-year-old from Hyderabad holding a Saudi work visa. A 35-year-old from Punjab’s Sargodha was halted from flying to Saudi Arabia out of Karachi, then blocked from a Dubai trip from Lahore. A Jhang resident said he was questioned for opting for Karachi over nearby Lahore due to lower fares.
Business leaders have joined the criticism. This week, legitimate entrepreneurs and tourists decried the “harsh policy.” Ahmed Hassan Mattu, president of the Gujrat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said he had received complaints from members offloaded at Lahore, Sialkot and other airports despite valid documents and letters of recommendation. “The business fraternity had been very concerned over such a harsh policy of FIA Immigration, as genuine businessmen should not be stopped or bothered at the airports,” Mattu said.
Agency officials have denied overreach. Muhammad Bin Ashraf, FIA director for the Gujranwala zone, said there was “no harsh policy or new directions issued in this regard of offloading passengers with fake documents or suspicious motives.”
In response to the misinformation, the FIA has pursued legal action via the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency under the 2016 Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act. Sources say over 15 social media accounts were initially identified for spreading “baseless propaganda and hatred against provinces.”
Officials described the posts as deliberate attempts to damage the agency’s reputation and stir public unease. They emphasized that offloadings spare those with full documents and valid purposes. “Passengers with incomplete or fake travel documents are offloaded. Those who provide suspicious or unclear information, as well as those suspected of being influenced by human traffickers or illegal agents, are also offloaded,” officials said, adding that repeat offenders face strict measures.
Earlier this month, FIA Director General Riffat Mukhtar acknowledged offloadings at Lahore and Karachi, with probes ongoing.
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