FIA slammed after Islamabad Airport Immigration glitch sparks chaos

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), often regarded as a key law-enforcement pillar of the country, came under sharp criticism on Saturday after a temporary outage in its immigration system triggered frustration among passengers at Islamabad International Airport.

The situation escalated when three individuals were taken into custody following a confrontation with immigration officials at the counters. The incident occurred as Turkish Airlines flight TK-750 arrived from Türkiye, with passengers staging protests over delays in the immigration process.

FIA officials confirmed the incident, stating that the three Pakistani-origin Dutch nationals, who were identified as Mohammad Aqib, Mohammad Hamid Shabbir, and Tajamal Hussain, attempted to bypass the queue and forcibly approached the immigration counter, leading to a heated exchange with other passengers.

The agency said the individuals allegedly used abusive language, misbehaved with staff, and obstructed official duties. FIA personnel detained the trio and later handed them over to local police. An official Istighasa (complaint) report has been submitted to the police, seeking legal action against the accused for misconduct, threats, and disruption at the immigration area.

The incident has drawn criticism from passengers and observers, who slammed the FIA for system lapses and inadequate crowd management, highlighting concerns over professionalism and passenger safety.