FIA probes surge in offloading of workers despite valid visas, certificates

• DG Riffat Mukhtar briefs high-level meeting on rising offloading complaints, says no new travel conditions or affidavit requirements imposed
• Minister Salik Hussain orders immediate end to unlawful offloading

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Thursday acknowledged that it is probing a surge in complaints of Pakistani workers being offloaded at airports despite carrying valid travel documents—an issue that has triggered concern within the government following Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s directive to clamp down on migrant smuggling after last year’s Greece boat tragedy.

According to an FIA statement, Director General Riffat Mukhtar briefed a high-level meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain on reports that workers were being stopped from boarding flights at various airports over the past few months on “grounds of suspicion.”

The meeting, attended by officials from the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and a delegation of the Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association, was informed that several such incidents had been reported at Lahore and Karachi airports and that investigations were underway.

“If any FIA officials are found involved, strict action will be taken against them,” the DG was quoted as saying.

Minister Hussain noted with concern that workers had been offloaded at different airports despite having work visas and valid protection certificates. “Pakistanis going abroad for employment are highly respected by us, and no one will be allowed to unlawfully stop workers at airports,” he said, stressing that overseas Pakistanis were vital contributors to the national economy through foreign remittances.

The minister directed the FIA chief to immediately resolve the issue and ensure that no work-visa holders are offloaded in the future.

The FIA statement clarified that the agency has neither imposed new travel conditions nor introduced any requirement for obtaining affidavits from government officers for those departing on work visas.

Officials further briefed the meeting that a new digital system enabling workers to complete their immigration process online before departure would soon be launched. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are also being prepared jointly by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and the FIA to prevent such incidents going forward.

Last year, four Pakistani nationals were among those killed in migrant shipwrecks off the coast of Greece, according to the Foreign Office. A high-level committee was subsequently formed under the prime minister to examine the tragedy. In January, former FIA DG Ahmed Ishaque Jehangir was removed from his post, with Riffat Mukhtar appointed his successor in early April.