ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of the repeated offloading of passengers travelling abroad and ordered the formation of a committee to examine the issue, Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain said on Monday.
In recent months, several incidents have been reported in which passengers were offloaded at different airports despite holding valid travel documents. These actions followed a nationwide crackdown on migrant smuggling launched after the 2024 Greece boat tragedy that claimed the lives of several Pakistanis.
In a statement, the minister said the prime minister had constituted a “special committee” to review the offloading of passengers at airports and to ensure safe migration.
“Recently, some passengers have been offloaded despite having complete documentation,” Chaudhry Salik Hussain said, adding that travellers with valid visas were also prevented from boarding.
He said the committee would formulate recommendations to promote safe migration and address the concerns surrounding passenger offloading. A meeting of the committee is expected to be held later this week.
“By the end of January, we will prepare proposals to resolve these issues,” the minister said, stressing that safe migration is a fundamental right.
The minister also praised the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) for its efforts in promoting safe migration.
Last month, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, during a visit to Islamabad Airport, had directed that no passenger possessing “genuine and complete documents” should be stopped from travelling abroad.
Meanwhile, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) clarified on November 27 that passengers were only being offloaded or denied boarding if they lacked valid documentation or were suspected of involvement in migrant smuggling.
oRNFgOXcmRMgJJVGAfyZmIrp