Two more suspects arrested in visa scam for Afghans

By Tahir Khan

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency said Monday that they had arrested two more suspects in a Pakistani visa scandal for Afghan nationals.  

According to a July 4 FIA report, the agency has arrested two persons involved in getting Pakistani visas for Afghans on fake sponsorship letters. A sponsorship letter is one of the requirements for Pakistani visas.

The FIA wrote on X that four suspects – Azizullah Afridi, Nader Rahim, Muhammad Atif Ahmed, and Ahmed Zeb – have been arrested for facilitating obtaining illegal visas in a major operation.

 “Raids and operations are ongoing to apprehend other accomplices involved with the suspects,” the agency further said.

Sources said that the suspects were produced in a local court and the FIA got two-day physical remand to interrogate the suspects.

Two government employees, one working in the Press Information Department and other in the Foreign Office, are among those involved in the scam, the FIR said.

Sources in PID told Hum News English on Monday that the PID employee was arrested on Friday from his office at Zero Point.

The Foreign Office employee has fled to avoid arrest, according to other sources.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office spokesperson evaded comments when approached for comments.

However, a Foreign Office official said, “As a matter of policy, the administration of MoFA doesn’t share details when inquiry or investigation are underway.”

THE SYNDICATE

The FIA report says that it has found a syndicate of Afghan E-Visa agents headed by Samiullah Afridi, Naib Qasid at MoFA Islamabad (Owner of Al Quds Travel Agency) along with his accomplices – Malik Muneeb ur Rehman (travel agent), Nadir Raheem Abbasi (PID employee in Islamabad) and Ahmed Afghani.”

The report added that the financial transactions are routed through bank accounts of Abdul Aziz Afridi, cousin of Samiullah Afridi. Aziz has a car showroom at G-8 Markaz Islamabad and his brother is an employee of MoFA.

It said approximately 40 million rupees have been deposited in a local bank account for the visas on behalf of Samiullah other than the accounts still unknown.

Another accused Muhammad Atif Ahmed Zai, a resident of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, is running an online travel agency namely Storai Travels and Tours.

500,000 VISAS ISSUED SINCE JAN 2024

Meanwhile, a meeting in Islamabad was informed on Monday that Pakistani diplomatic missions in Afghanistan have issued over 500,000 visas since January 2024 to date across a range of categories such as medical, tourist, business, and study.

“Pakistani side shared an overview of its efforts to facilitate documented travel from Afghanistan. Both sides agreed to work together to further strengthen the legal movement of individuals across borders,” the Foreign Office said as Pakistan hosted the inaugural round of the additional secretary-level mechanism between the two countries on Monday.

A Foreign Office statement said the meeting was held in Islamabad pursuant to decisions reached during the visit of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to Kabul on April 19.

“Both sides recognized terrorism as a serious threat to regional peace and security. The Pakistani side emphasized the need for concrete actions against terrorist groups operating on Afghan soil, noting that such groups undermine Pakistan’s security and hinder regional development,” the statement read.