FIA penalises 85 officers for ‘misuse of authority’ amid passenger offloading complaints

WEB DESK: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has penalised 85 of its officials over the past year for misuse of authority and corruption in immigration-related matters, according to a report submitted to the Senate.

The disclosure comes amid growing scrutiny over immigration practices at the country’s airports, with records revealing that at least 132 passengers were offloaded from their scheduled flights across Pakistan during 2025 based on compiled complaints.

The highest number of offloadings was recorded at Islamabad International Airport with 62 cases, followed closely by Karachi’s Jinnah International Airport with 54, and Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport with 32. Other instances were reported in Multan, Faisalabad, and Sialkot, according to Dawn News.

Allegations of extortion and torture

The agency informed the upper house of parliament that its Directorate of Internal Accountability had initiated strict measures against personnel involved in the unjustified offloading of travellers or collaboration with human smugglers. Final inquiries conducted during 2025 found 85 officials guilty of abusing their official powers, resulting in formal penalties.

Among the complaints lodged against the immigration staff were serious allegations of extortion, physical torture, and bribery. In one notable case at Lahore airport, officers allegedly extorted a bribe of Rs500,000 from a passenger.

In another instance, 15 candidates travelling abroad on valid work visas were unjustifiably offloaded. The report noted that a significant portion of complaints involved passengers being repeatedly offloaded for refusing to comply with bribery demands from FIA personnel.

Agency defends documentation checks

In its defence, the FIA maintained that a scrutiny of the complainants’ profiles often revealed a lack of requisite travel documentation.

The agency asserted that the majority of offloading actions were legally justified, citing instances where travellers lacked sufficient subsistence funds, confirmed hotel bookings, bureau of emigration protector stamps, or complete educational credentials. Some passengers were also unable to demonstrate a clear and verified purpose of travel.

According to the report, affected passengers were subsequently advised on how to complete their mandatory documentation, after which several managed to travel successfully.

To mitigate future grievances, the FIA stated that travellers could visit the offices of its deputy directors for pre- and post-departure guidance, noting that a dedicated facilitation desk had already been operationalised at its Faisalabad Zonal Office.

The parliamentary briefing follows a recent landmark ruling by the Lahore High Court, which strictly decreed that immigration authorities cannot curtail a citizen’s fundamental right to travel abroad on the basis of vague suspicions or unsubstantiated reasons.