No genuine visa holder being offloaded, FIA says

ISLAMABAD: Amidst reports of offloading of workers and visit visa holders travelling abroad at airports, the interior minister and the minister for overseas Pakistanis have clarified that no one possessing a genuine visa or travel documents was being offloaded.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has also clarified that no affidavit was being demanded from travellers with visit visas.

FIA Lahore Zone Director Muhammad Ali Zia said in a video message that “Propaganda is being spread on social media claiming that people are being offloaded without reason, and that those travelling to earn a lawful livelihood are being harassed. None of this has any basis in reality. In many places, AI-generated photos and videos are being uploaded.”

He said, “Those who are genuinely and legally travelling abroad for any purpose should not fall for such propaganda. Far from stopping them, the immigration staff will facilitate them.”

“Conversely, those who fall prey to agents, obtain transit visas of various countries and attempt to travel illegally — ultimately risking incidents such as boat tragedies — not only lose their lives but also damage Pakistan’s reputation. The situation has reached a point where many countries have begun refusing visas to us,” he said.

He further said, “We even have cases where people travelled for Umrah with their mother or sister for a righteous purpose, but the woman was sent back while the man disappeared to another country through an agent — or was caught attempting to do so. For this reason, we have tightened scrutiny at airports, and only those with valid visas and clear lawful purposes are allowed to travel after document verification. But if anything appears suspicious, action is taken against them.”

On the other hand, an FIA spokesperson said that “some individuals on social media are spreading fabricated and misleading information regarding offloading of passengers, with the intention of creating panic and exploiting the public’s lack of awareness.”

According to the FIA, “Offloading a passenger is not a punishment, but a procedure to ensure verification and enforcement of travel documentation. Passengers are offloaded if they carry fake or unacceptable documents, fail to provide clear travel information, were involved in illegal activities in the past, or are suspected of human smuggling. The public is strongly advised to travel only with complete, accurate and verified documents, and to avoid illegal agents, as passenger safety is the FIA’s foremost priority.”

The spokesperson said that “the FIA has identified social media accounts spreading misinformation. More than 15 accounts have been traced so far, and investigations and action have begun under the Cyber Crime Act.”

In Pakistan, the offloading of workers and visit visa holders attempting to travel abroad is currently ongoing at airports, with thousands reportedly offloaded so far.

Meanwhile, social media is witnessing a campaign claiming that even those with complete documentation are being stopped from travelling.