Immigration firm owner sentenced to 60 years in visa fraud and human trafficking cases

LAHORE: The owner of Global Citizenship Solutions (GCS), Zulqarnain Asad, was sentenced on Tuesday to a total of 60 years in prison, alongside fines in four separate cases of human smuggling and visa fraud. Each 15-year term will run concurrently, according to a report by Dawn.

The special court, Central-II, Lahore, delivered the verdict after completing proceedings in all four cases. The fines imposed ranged from Rs1 million to Rs1.7 million per case.

“These sentences were made possible owing to the strong investigation conducted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the effective prosecution by its legal team. The court accepted the evidence presented by FIA and announced the verdict accordingly,” an FIA official said.

FIA Director General Dr Usman Anwar lauded Lahore Director Retired Capt Muhammad Ali Zia and the investigation team, stating that such convictions serve as a deterrent against crimes of this nature.

Asad had been arrested by FIA Lahore in February 2023 after multiple complaints were filed from Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, and Multan, alleging that GCS had defrauded people of millions of rupees under the pretext of immigration services to Canada, Australia, and European countries.

Investigations revealed that GCS provided fake documents, including screenshots of the Canadian immigration portal and fraudulent nomination letters from British Columbia, ITA, and AOR, misleading clients about their visa and immigration status.

One complainant told Dawn that he had paid over Rs1.1 million to GCS for Canadian immigration services, only to discover that all documents provided were fraudulent. He described the experience as psychologically devastating and financially burdensome.

Interestingly, GCS had previously received endorsements from at least two top female models, an actor/host, and a former Test cricketer, who promoted the firm as “the best” on its online page. The consultancy operated offices in Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad.

The FIA has yet to comment on whether victims will be compensated through the sale of GCS properties. Observers have compared the case to that of Future Concerns Ltd, whose owners allegedly defrauded millions of Pakistanis in a similar immigration scam and have been absconding in the UK since 2013.

The conviction highlights the FIA’s ongoing efforts to crack down on large-scale immigration fraud and hold perpetrators accountable, sending a strong warning to similar operators exploiting vulnerable clients.