ISLAMABAD – Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) that no Pakistani in the possession of valid traveling documents should be offloaded from any airport of the country. His remarks came during his surprise visit to Islamabad Airport after social media reports emerged that several passengers with valid documents are being barred from travelling abroad by the FIA—an allegation that the agency has denied. The interior minister reviewed the immigration process at the airport for two hours and met passengers traveling abroad.
He said passengers attempting to travel abroad on fake or unverified documents or through other illegal means brought disrepute to the country, and such a situation could not be allowed to continue. He highlighted that travel abroad couldn’t be permitted with unverified documents.
Naqvi ordered a crackdown against visa agents, noting that this mafia, driven by greed for money, is playing with the futures of innocent people and tarnishing the country’s reputation. “There will be no leniency for agents who deceive innocent people with promises of jobs and send them abroad illegally,” he added. The interior minister took serious notice of a passenger’s complaint regarding insufficient staff at immigration counters on 7th of November and ordered an inquiry. He directed his staff to review the entire situation through CCTV footage. He assured the passenger concerned that they would not face such an issue again.
